


How to be a (Reluctant) Hero

by polarlily



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Naruto, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, But he will complain about it, Dark, Deadpool can’t break 4th wall, Depression, Dimension Travel, Don’t expect too much though, Feral Behavior, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, LGBTQ OCs, Minor Character Death, Minor Original Character(s), Multi, Nonbinary!Naruto, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Romance I guess, Slow Burn, Slow Everything, Suicidal Thoughts, Trauma, Why does everything happen in New York?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2020-04-06 11:50:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 122,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19062082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polarlily/pseuds/polarlily
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke have their big battle on top of the hospital rooftop. Yet, there’s a slight change in history when Sakura doesn’t stupidly run into the battle, but decides to use a jutsu to stop them. But Kakashi comes in at the wrong time and signature moves are tested against each other, leading to a massive explosion and instant knockout for all parties involved.The Sage of Six Paths saves Naruto and Sasuke from certain death, but plagued by seeing history repeat itself in the form of his two sons, he decides that teaching people to use chakra was his biggest mistake. Our two characters are stripped of almost all of their chakra and banished to another world without chakra used as a weapon. Naruto and Sasuke are forced to live as normally as possible in the world of Marvel.The ninja world panics as thousands of people start to lose their chakra. Friends and foes rush to figure out the mystery behind Naruto and Sasuke’s disappearance. People die, beliefs decay, and morals collide.Yet, in the midst of it all, Naruto still wants to save his most precious people.





	1. Details

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is my first fanfic ever. Mostly doing it for fun and to entertain myself this summer. That being said, this will most likely be updated frequently. Worse comes to worst, the reason I won’t update is when I start feeling too unmotivated to do anything. Still, I have been thinking about this plot for awhile, and I want to sharpen my language arts skill so ... yeah. 
> 
> Also, if you don’t like the story, don’t read. I have enough to worry about than to address disrespectful people. Hateful comments will be ignored and / or laughed at. 
> 
> I don’t think I’ll write author’s note often. Maybe to make jokes.
> 
> Speaking of which, I have been told my sense of humor is lacking so if this version of Deadpool destroys whatever hope you had in humanity, well I’m sure you’ll survive.

**Prologue Details: Not Actually a Chapter????**

* * *

**[Edit 07/21/19]: Also, I should say this but I’ll repeat in case I stupidly forgot: THIS STORY IS DARK. That’s not to say it will have a sad ending but it will have dark elements so watch out for that.**

**I didn’t say which archive warnings I will use because I felt I needed to explain it better but ALL ARCHIVES WARNING APPLY!!!!**

**There’s graphic violence!!**

**There’s rape and assault (I will Not write the actual scene but there will be heavy implications like “it hits you on the head implications” and characters will be affected by this!!!**

**There’s underage ((I think, not sure it they mean underage as in two underage characters doing it, which is not in this story, or one underage and one adult doing it but everything’s HEAVILY implied)**

**There’s even major character death (but let’s be honest, everyone in comics gets resurrected so does it really count as a death in the first place, the emotional impact is still there I guess.)**

**Just because I will write it doesn’t mean I agree with it. I’m not these characters (by the way, These characters do not belong to me but to the creators of Naruto and all the creators in Marvel comics) and their philosophy doesn’t apply to me. I’m in no way encouraging you to do what these characters do. Just read the fiction as is or hit that back button.  
**

 

The actual chapter will come out like either the day or the day after this is posted. This is just making sure logistics are dealt with. Also this fic will be very long.

 

The Timeline is a bit confusing and not really relating to movie canon because I’m lazy but this is roughly it.

 

**First Dimension Hop** :

\- This is before Sasuke leaves the village (obviously)

\- This is after the Tsunade Retrieval Arc

\- In MCU, This happens between the events that occur in Avengers: Age of Ultron and the events in Captain America: Civil War (I don’t care when this movie was published).

\- By the time that Miles Morales appear, the events that happened in Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse would have already occurred. **Edit: [July 21 2019]: Also follow events of comics but it will be explained so don’t worry. [EDIT: September 3rd, 2019]: Ignore the previous edit. I was on some high level angst mode.**

\- By the time that Deadpool appears, the events that happened in Deadpool 2 will have occurred.

\- By the time Jessica Jones appears, events will be occurring halfway through Season 1 (Kilgrave is still alive).  **Edit [September 3rd, 2019]: She will appear before Season 1 officially starts. Obviously her coming at this point will change what's happening but most of the events will still probably occur as in canon.**

\- There will be no events that refer to Daredevil because I only watched 6 episodes of it and was subsequently bored. However, the character will be still be in this fic.  **Edit [September 3rd, 2019]: I caught up to Daredevil so by the time Matt Murdock appears, it will be midway in the events of Season 2. However, most of the stuff that happened in canon will still happen.**

\- There will be no events that refer to Luke Cage because I’m too lazy to finish watching it. However, this is subject to change, and the character will still be in this fic.  **Edit [September 3rd, 2019]: I watched Luke Cage, by the time he appears, the events of Season 1 would have occurred.**

- **Edit [July 21, 2019]:** By the time Daisy Johnson arrives, the events all the way up to when She abandons the team and becomes Quake will occur. I don’t know the season because there was too much episodes to watch but everything will be explained. Somewhat.

-  **Edit [July 21, 2019]:** By the time Monica Rambeau arrives, the events of Captain Marvel will occur (duh!) but from then on her character will be loosely based on comics. I say loosely because I’m skimming these comics.

**That’s all you need to know timeline wise for now.**

 

**Story details:**

\- Deadpool does not know what type of media he is in. He will regularly complain about not knowing.

 - Character May or May not be out of character. This is merely a warning. Obviously, some characters’ personality will change to the point it becomes out of character.

\- Thanos’ motivation for Infinity War is bullshit and Anything else said is “spoilers”.

\- Unless explicitly stated in a serious tone, characters are not straight.  **Edit [September 3rd, 2019]: Some characters are now straight because every story needs some clowns.**

\- Details between Obito and Madara’s partnership has been tweaked to suit my failing memory.

\- Iron Fist will definitely not be in this fic. No, I will not change this.  **Edit [September 3rd, 2019]: I did change it! I'm that bitch! By the time Danny Rand will appear, The events of Season 1 would have occurred.**

\- I’m not sure what the logistics of character-bashing is but I will try writing characters to reflect them (or at least the version I they appear to be for me).

\- That being said, I love (mostly) all of the female characters in Naruto, and any personality change I make is to better represent them.

\- There will be an author note in any Chapter with a time skip to explain any movie events that may occur in them.

\- To differentiate when a character is speaking a different language, there will be an author’s note.

\- Despite this fic being more based on the manga, Naruto will keep both verbal tics of “dattebayo” and “Believe it!” This might be the most important sentence I have ever written in my life.  **Edit [September 3rd, 2019]: Also when he uses "ya'know"?? Love it! He won't use "Believe it" until he starts to speak English, though.**

 

**Explanations about tags so it’s specific and no one’s caught off guard:**

 

\- More character tags will be added as I write them. I might hide a certain character before listing them in the tag if I feel as if they weren’t important before.  **Edit [September 3rd, 2019]: Not adding any more character tag cause I'm sick of updating the tags, sorry. Assume all main Marvel characters that showed up in Endgame will be in this fic.**

\- There will be original characters. Some will die. 

\- I will not write sex scenes. It might be implied or there might be jokes about it but I will not write an outright sex scenes .

\- That being said, not sure if there will be rape and/or incest but if there is, it will be implied but not explicitly shown.

\- With underage, any sexual aspect will be implied and even stated (for example: characters busting a trafficking ring). Details will be extremely vague though.

\- There will be lots of violence and stuff.

\- I‘m seriously, I don’t know how bloody I can get but it is not for the weak-hearted.

\- Language is explicit.

 But yeah that’s all the details needed. If you haven’t watched the shows, I’ll give enough context that you’ll sorta get it but  f you want full info, then watch them. 

I won’t post Sunday mornings / early afternoons  because of Church but I’ll try to post as much as I can.

Im not sure it this is important but I’m in  the Eastern Time Zone so be aware of that if you try to talk to me. But don’t be a stranger! Bye for now.


	2. Step One: Fail. Spectacularly.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura tried to do something useful for once. It blows up in her face. Literally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is writing a lot harder than I thought :(
> 
> Also, just to be clear, I do not own any characters from Naruto (Those go to Masashi Kishimoto) or Marvel (Those go to other marvel comic writers and artists).

It was a beautiful day.

Deep in the forest, animals run around, alive and well. The wind carries a sweet breeze strong enough to shower the village in a downpour of leaves. The sun smiles down at the village, and the glint from metal reflects back.

Even as it recovers from an invasion, Konoha stands strong as the village hidden in the leaves.

Yet, someone wasn’t recovering as well.

”Fight me. Now.”

The words stack upon the tension in the hospital room. 

Naruto. Sasuke. Sakura.

These three preteens are the members of Team 7, a genin ninja squad with their sensei Kakashi Hatake.

They have been through hell together. Surviving together through dangerous missions, torturous exams, and evil pedophiles.

They can even add a kidnapping attempt and attack from the terrorist group, Akatsuki, to the list.

They were in a bit of a bind when one of the members left Kakashi and Sasuke comatose.

But then, Naruto left the village, and brought back a blonde doctor. Someone who not only saved two of the members of her team, but became the fifth hokage, the leader of her village.

Sakura makes a mental note to meet Lady Tsunade one day.

She comes back to reality with Naruto’s response to Sasuke’s demand.

”Huh? What’re you babbling about? You’re still recovering...”

Naruto and Sakura’s thoughts screech at a halt though, at the sound of whirling.

They both turn their heads to black hair and red eyes holding two black tomoes.

“Shut up and fight me!” Sasuke demanded.

* * *

_’It’s like back then, in the Forest of Death. You’re acting the same as him.’_

Sakura twirled a strand of her pink hair as she watched the ongoing fight in front of her.

Sakura knows that she’s the weakest on her team. Even as the whole village deems Naruto the local village idiot, he has become more than that. His unending stamina, and chakra lets him keep fighting even when the battle is over.

She’s definitely behind Sasuke, who is the last Uchiha (withholding one) and prodigy of the village.

But she has never felt her weakness more than right now. Her uselessness as she watches her teammates kill each other.

But, she doesn’t like that glint in Sasuke’s eye. The alluring visage that makes him desirable to every girl in Konoha becomes darker. Red eyes illuminate what’s she was missing.

A deep seated contempt she only hopes she will never feel.

She watches as Naruto and Sasuke engage in petty jabs.

She watches as they run towards each other, fists pushing against each other in a test of strength.

Naruto slides back to make space, and brings his hands up in his signature move,  ** Tajuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu . **

Thousands of Narutos flood the rooftop and Sakura’s eyes water from the sight.

It should be illegal to see so much orange.

Yet, Sasuke takes them down with fluid kicks and punches that seems effortless.

At one point, a clone kicks Sasuke into the air. Only, it‘s a major mistake for Naruto as Sasuke unleashes his  **Goukakyu no Jutsu** underneath him. Exclaims of pain fills the air as smoke and poof sounds signal a thousand clones’ deaths.

Then, the smoke starts funneling around as wind whips against everyone nearby.

Smoke clears and Naruto and one clone replace it, holding a blue orb made of chakra.

_‘That Jutsu .... It looks like it compresses chakra down into a ball shape. That and with the speed the chakra is revolving .... There’s no way Sasuke can survive a direct hit from that. What’s Naruto thinking?’_

No sooner had the thought came to mind, Sakura heard the distinctive sound of birds chirping.

She looked towards Sasuke, hoping with all her heart she was wrong. Yet there he was, up in the air with lightning flaring.

This isn’t what’s supposed to happen.

They  were supposed to be friends.

They  were supposed to make stupid quips and challenge each other.

They  were supposed to make fun of Kakashi-Sensei together when he came late to meetings.

They  were supposed to train together to get better.

They  were supposed to complete wacky missions together.

They  were supposed to be happy.

Together.

But instead, she’s about to watch her best friends kill each other over a stupid rivalry.

How did it end up like this?

Sakura’s mind flickered back to pale skin, snake eyes, and an aura so fatal it made her stop dead.

That’s it. They need to stop.

Sakura knows she’s not a Uchiha (yet). She can’t perform a jutsu that’s she has only seen once. She’s not a prodigy.

But...

She has seen the hand signs, she has the chakra control for it, and she has 5 seconds before she’s the only one left on her team.

_’Deep breaths. Time to show them a jutsu of my own.’_

_5_

**”Rasengan!”**

**”Chidori!”**

”Stop!”

_4_

In a few microseconds, Sakura’s hands rush into a flurry of hand signs, desperation powering each sign. 

_3_

She does the last sign and feels a considerate amount of her chakra drained. She completed the jutsu.

_2_

But then, in an unprecedented yet shitty move, the fuckface known as Kakashi-Sensei arrives right on time .

Falling straight into her jutsu.

_1_

Kakashi-Sensei freezes and falls out from the path of the oncoming shitstorm. Time seems to slow down for Sakura as her brain processes the events unfolding before her.

She could see it all.

The hatred clouding Sasuke’s eyes. Feelings of inferiority powering a last-ditch attempt to prove a facade of superiority.

Animosity radiating from Naruto’s body. Each cell in his body dedicated to receiving acknowledgement from a lifelong rival.

Fear and despair. She’s not facing him, but she can feel the chakra pulsing from her sensei as he tries to free himself from her jutsu. Tries to save their team. 

Yet even she knows it’s too late. She whirls her head towards Kakashi-Sensei. 

A silent thought sent towards him.

_ ’Don’t take  all of the blame. We were all weak.  Physically weak,  emotionally weak, mentally weak.’ _

Sakura’s eyes met her sensei’s, but she couldn’t see with all the tears clouding her vision.

_‘It’s too late but I promise I won’t be weak anymore.’_

_‘Naruto....’_

_’Sasuke....Please....I .....’_

The power radiating from both boys causes a drastic change in air pressure. The result? An enormous wind that pushes Sakura and Kakashi-Sensei off the rooftop.

_0_

Opposing forces collide.

The sky goes bright, and then dark.

Sakura is flying as she sees her best friends die.

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It was  _such_ a beautiful day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional notes I forgot:
> 
> \- Sage of Six Paths can’t see the future in this fic or whatever predicting foreseeing shit
> 
> \- This fic will draw primarily from Marvel Cinematic Universe but I will also draw from the actual comics as needed.
> 
> \- Unlike Santa, I did not check this fic twice. Very amazing of me.
> 
>  
> 
> Also slight unfunny scene:
> 
> Sakura: FutureHusbandsay”what”
> 
> Sasuke: Hm?
> 
> Naruto: What?
> 
> Sakura: :(


	3. Step Two: Square Up With a god

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto and Sasuke get scolded by their chakra daddy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feeling unusually insecure about my writing but I’m sure it’s just my brain being weird. Also, I ‘M IN SO MUCH FREAKING PAIN, I JUST WANT TO CRY AND LAY IN BED BUT I HAVE WORK AND COLLEGE PLACEMENT EXAMS.
> 
> Also, I updated tags that sleepiness didn’t let me pay attention to.
> 
> Okay, back to our regularly scheduled program.

It went really dark fast.

Then, it went bright.

Then, suddenly there was nothing.

Not nothing as in darkness, but nothing as in nothing.

No light, no shadow, no life, no death, no sound, no movement.

 

Nothing.

 

* * *

 

But after a second, everything came back.

Well, not everything.

Naruto, surprised to see himself sitting down when he was fighting just a second ago, looked around.

He could tell that he wasn’t in Konoha anymore. 

He stood up as gently as possible, so as not to crack the glassy floor. 

He looked around for any sign of life but there was nobody around for miles. 

The sky was a mix of orange and brown, like the time he accidentally spilled orange jam onto his ramen broth. Except the sky wasn’t all pulpy but smooth.

He looked but miles upon miles, the landscape looked the same. 

It was creepy as hell.

Plus, it was too quiet. The only sound Naruto could hear was his breathing.

In a fit of frustration, Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs, hoping it would pierce the weird silence.

But his yell echoed for a few seconds, like whatever place he was in was mocking him, until it faded off.

 

Silence remained.

 

And he was utterly alone.

 

”Hn.”

 

“YOU!!” 

 

Naruto whirled hard to turn to the probable culprit to this mess.

 

“Teme ... get me out of this genjutsu and fight me!” 

 

“Dimwit .... I didn’t do this.”

 

Naruto didn’t believe him for a second.

 

_’If he won’t release it, then I will force him to.’_

 

Ignoring the logic of how genjutsu works, Naruto threw the first punch at Sasuke.

Sasuke ducked the fist, and kicked towards Naruto’s legs.

Naruto jumped up to dodge only to be kicked as Sasuke maneuvered into a flip.

With this, they quickly devolved into another exchange of fists.

Naruto felt his body tiring earlier than it usually does.

Chalking it up to the weird genjutsu, he decided to end the battle with one good punch to the face.

Judging by the incoming punch towards him, it seemed like Sasuke decided the same thing.

But before any of the punches could land, they were stopped by an extreme force of chakra.

Instilled ninja instincts made them face the bigger threat, expecting a dangerous criminal.

Only to be greeted by an old man.

A very _weird_ and _angry_ old man; even the third eye on his head was frowning.

But his presence demanded attention; he stood up tall, and even as he was far away, he still towered over them like they were ants.

His clothes looked like soft silk, and he was holding a weird sort of staff with rings at the end.

“I assumed you would cease your battle once you observed the shift in surroundings,”

The old man’s eyes flicked between Naruto and Sasuke, disappointment and regret filling his gaze.

”But it seemed I overestimated your level of maturity.” He continued.

Naruto’s face scrunched up like a dry sponge. He didn’t understand a single word this geezer was uttering.

Also, what was he doing in Sasuke’s genjutsu? This is so weird...

He turned to Sasuke for an explanation, but Sasuke had gone red in the face, and looked like he was about to kill the old man.

Well, he’s _definitely_ not asking him.

”Ano sa, Who are you?” Naruto asked / yelled.

But the geezer ignored them entirely, floating over the landscape with the grace comparable to a daimyo. His face was turned back, but Naruto could still see his eyes.

His eyes ...

Was he crying?

 

* * *

 

 

The Sage of Six Paths was tired.

 

For decades, he roamed the world as a chakra entity.

He had no physical body.

Yet, it seemed he was missing a vital part of his soul, something that could replace the insurmountable feeling of sadness and regret that infinite power couldn’t replace.

He had failed the world.

He looked back at the boys, so alive and yet so cursed.

Bright memories of young boys running through the forest taunted him, mocking his former naivety of a better future.

Was this his fault? Did he cause this?

Kaguya might have been the first to wield chakra, but he could have ended it.

Instead, he taught humans ninshu, so to use chakra for peace. His intentions were to create a world for all to be in peace and to be happy.

But for years, he had watched wars raged at end. 

They exist. They grow. They learn. They hate. They destroy. They kill. They birth. They teach. 

Then they die, their contempt poisoning the very soil they walk upon.

The Sage of Six Paths took a deep breath, and exhaled. They was no need, yet he did it. Indulgence, something he wished for that can be gotten with instant gratification.

He looked bath at them. Brown hair. Black hair. Solemn eyes. Persistent spirit. 

Ashura and Indra. Day and Night. Sun and Moon. Yin and Yang. 

Lurking behind souls in hopes that they can achieve reconciliation.

”I left you to your own devices in hopes your souls would find peace. I wished your disagreements will end one day, that my two sons can act as the brothers they are.” He said.

 

”I should have never taught humans ninshu.”

 

It’s time to take back what he gave.

But his next words would always split the heart he lost.

 

”But my biggest mistake was conceiving you two. Leave now.”

 

Ashura and Indra’s chakra flared in response to his words.

 

Ashura’s burned like the sun. Hot and everywhere. Flared bright like a forest fire. But then, he flickered out. He was the first to go, gone  in a blink.

Indra’s was the smoldering coals left behind. Tangible darkness. Stifling like ash on lungs. He left slowly, fluttering out like soot blowing in the wind. 

 

The Sage of Six Paths loves his sons. 

 

Memories of happiness faded like chakra.

 

The Sage of Six Paths loved his sons.

 

* * *

 

Sasuke was angry.

 

An engrossing need to avenge flowed through his bones.

The hatred he held for that man moved him through life like a puppet on clipped strings.

Something ugly and filthy festered in his soul, longing for power to feed its cursed existence.

Then he spoke.

 

Sasuke is cold.

 

Or numb. An unexplainable confidence he had felt since he recognized his ability to feel crumbled.

Or empty. Something in him is gone. A feeling, a power, an emotion.

 _Something_  is missing.

Something not even being surrounded by his family’s dead bodies could kill.

He felt as if his soul was shaved off.

This feeling, something he didn’t understand, scared him.

 

”What... What did you just do?” Naruto’s voice had an unusual crack.

 

In fact, Naruto was unusual. His face was pallid. His pupils shrunk with fear, and his body shivered.

The air had turned cold with his words, but Sasuke knew that it wasn’t the temperature affecting Naruto.

The man turned fully to face him. He stood tall with regality and power flowing through him.

“I am Hagoromo. I am The Sage of Six Paths.” He spoke with utter confidence.

Sasuke’s brain fluttered with memories of scourging through Uchiha records, the man’s name appearing through sparse glimpses.

Could he be talking to a _god?_

Sasuke looked for an escape, or anything. Something so he doesn’t have to stand in front of this ... _being_.

 

But all around him were blue and purple skies.

 

“You’re not my sons.” He said.

 

”Yet I cannot absolve you.”

 

Sasuke lost track of what could be called a monologue.

 

”Forgive me, Kurama. I never meant this fate for you.”

 

Sasuke didn’t understand what he meant. But unlike Naruto, he had the decorum to wait for him to elaborate.

”What’re you talking ‘bout? I don’t understand what’s going on, but I won’t let you get away with whatever you did to me!” Naruto pointed at him with bravado.

“What did you think would happen...” the man started.

”if two equal forces of destructive and fatal chakra collided? Do you possibly think you could have survived the encounter?” He finished, staring hard.

 

It was hard to admit, but there was a chance of both of them dying.

But Sasuke refused to consider it.

 

”So what? Are we dead now?” Naruto asked.

 

”No. I used a sealing technique and sent you two here. This is merely both of your mindscapes combined so I could speak to both of you freely. While in this state, time has not passed. Your jutsus have just collided.”

 

Sasuke’s mind processed the information, and before he could think twice about it, asked:

 

”How could you seal the collision if you don’t have any sealing materials?”

 

As soon as he spoke it, Sasuke regretted it. 

‘ _If he’s The Sage of Six Paths, he wouldn’t need ink.’_

Yet, the sage’s energy turned darker as he spoke.

 

”I never said I sealed the collision.”

 

_‘But then, what did ....?’_

 

For the first time since he arrived at his mindscape, Sasuke looked at his body.

Black scripts climbed his arms and legs, shifting each second. He lifted his shirt, only to see the lines adorning his stomach.

 

”You sealed us??”

 

Sasuke vaguely heard a screech from Naruto’s direction. 

But it didn’t matter because he couldn’t call his chakra. 

Years of training to gain his father’s approval...

Years of training to avenge his family...

 

All gone.

 

”YOU CAN’T DO THIS!” Naruto screamed, rage causing his veins to strain.

 

”I already did. I refused to take action and the last reincarnations of my sons slandered my teachings and developed civilizations based on killing.”

 

“What does your sons have to do with us? Their actions doesn’t equate ours.” Sasuke joined in.

 

”You’re right ... my sons have enough intelligence to not blow each other up.”

 

”So what? What’s the point of saving our lives if we don’t have chakra? We’re ninjas, we need it!” Naruto said.

 

With this, the Sage stared at both of them.

 

“Chakra was never supposed to be use to hurt. It was so others could understand each other feelings. To hear the words hidden in the other’s heart.”

“The era of ninjas is coming to an end, and I won’t let you disrupt it.”

 

With these words, the sky turned black and the floor cracked before shattering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With nothing to hold onto, Sasuke and Naruto started to freefall.

Surrounded by the darkness Sasuke once swore to walk in for power, he screamed.

He outstretched his hand in hopes of reaching the Sage, the only source of light.

Yet he fell too fast, and tears blurred his nonexistent vision.

All senses were gone. 

 

“I’ll send you two to a world without chakra. Maybe then the curse of hatred will finally be broken.”

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watched Infinity War again, and I just realized Dr. Strange has the Time Stone, so I have to watch the movie, and include him. :(
> 
> I listened to whole bunch of sad songs to write this section. My mom was very worried but besides the point:
> 
> Naruto and Sasuke has had all their chakra sealed. Whatever the fuck is in Sasuke’s curse seal is doubled sealed, and a PROPER SEAL not the half-ass one Kakashi did.
> 
> Kurama is also doubled sealed so he’s going along the ride but not going to be giving any chakra. Until next time, the world of Marvel might finally be introduced (It could be the next NEXT chapter).


	4. Step Three: Start Your Development Arc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Konoha tries to figure out the disappearance of one demon vessel and Uchiha. It’s more fucked up than they realize.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made some updates to Prologue, some not important but PLEASE READ THE BOLDED ONE IN THE PROLOGUE I BEG YOU ITS HIGH PRIORITY. In case you decided that sounds too desperate, I’m updating the tags either way.
> 
> I’m sorry I was gone for a hot minute, this Chapter was hard to write and Procrastination was a BITCH. I think I need a life coach..
> 
> This chapter isn’t fun for me, because the fun shit is in the NEXT chapter. Sadly, it might even take more time than this one because well ... spoilers
> 
> I watched Doctor Strange, guys. I loved the magic fights, and Benny the Cumberbitch is okay, so he’s in the fic (Doctor Strange, not the actor). BUT HES ON THIN FUCKING ICE.
> 
> I tried to watch Iron Fist, I tried so hard...
> 
> P.S I wonder how it will feel to get drunk.

There’s so many sensations the human body can feel. 

The feeling of weightlessness that comes from being blown away from a 3-story building.

Indescribable panic from knowing that you’re about to die in a very painful way.

And Sakura’s favorite:

Extreme agony from ending up in the hospital with multiple bone fractures.

Or something like that. Sakura isn’t really thinking straight right now.

She could pick up the words like “bone fractures” and “surgery”. She could feel the thin fabric her body is laying on while she’s being rolled somewhere. She can even see people in blue scrubs shining a light into her eyes.

But she couldn’t comprehend it. What she was doing wherever she was.

She noticed some people calling her name. Their faces were very wrinkled and one was even crying.

Maybe they’re nurses.

_’I’ll figure it out later.’_

With that, Sakura drifted off into unconsciousness.

* * *

 

Kakashi really wished he got killed by the blast.

Then again, calling it a blast was really understating the amount of damage it did.

Even as the Great Toad Sage Jiraiya was there to deal with the brunt of the explosion, It still took out most of the buildings within a 10 miles radius.

When it happened, many ninjas rushed in, thinking that the village was being invaded.

That was a much better scenario.

Instead, he was being summoned by the Hokage despite only receiving bandages for his wounds.

But Kakashi wasn’t worried about being beaten to a pulp.

Not that it won’t happen (the hokage has a nasty temper), but there were bigger things on his mind.

Naruto and Sasuke.

By all reasons, they should be dead.

Just a hit with the Chidori or the Rasengan was enough to kill either one of them. The power unleashed by both of the jutsus should obliterate them.

But that wasn’t what happened.

Kakashi might have been frozen and blown away from the impact but he didn’t lose consciousness.

His two students weren’t blown to pieces.  

They were sealed.

It happened so fast Kakashi didn’t have time to remove his headband.

Every particle of chakra released from the blast turned black.

A nightmarish eclipse as the sky turned dark.

That’s when Kakashi saw it. The darkness separating, turning bright.

Turning into Kanji characters.

It was something unexpected and beyond Kakashi’s realms of reasoning to even think of why it could have  happened.

He’l definitely need someone smarter than him.

Due to following decorum and that this was literally her first day, Kakashi shunshinned—rather than crash through the window—to the door of the Hokage’s office and knocked.

There was a brief silence, some creative curses, and even a few yells before he heard a curt “Come in”.

With a heavy heart, Kakashi straightened his back and walked in.

And almost tripped from the empty wine bottles scattered around the floor.

Kakashi had to walk around flying documents, wet carpet stains, and broken cabinets to stand before her desk.

”Hokage-sama.” He said.

”YOU!!”

Kakashi leaned back to avoid the fist thrown at him.

From that angle, he could see Jiraiya and Shizune, the hokage’s assistant, holding Tsunade-Sama down.

She was, by all accounts, a mess.

Her hair, usually put in two pig-tails, was loose and covered in sawdust. Her cheeks were rosy from drinking too much alcohol, and she had trouble walking straight.

But all Kakashi could focus on was the tears threatening to pour out from her eyes.

”I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU WERE THINKING, TEACHING A GENIN AN A-RANK JUTSU BUT I SWEAR I’ll—”

”Tsunade-Sama, please...” Shizune begged as she pulled her boss back into her chair.

Tsunade bowed her head down and pinched the bridge of her nose.

”....” She muttered.

Although Kakashi feared for his life, his guilt overwhelmed him and pushed him to move closer.

”Give me ... the report of what happened please.” Tsunade finally said.

Kakashi took a deep breath, before he started to rehash what happened.

He had actually been watching his genins from when they were in the hospital. The commotions that could only be from Naruto’s yelling had spurred him from his own hospital bed.

He had watched the both of them fight but he let it happen because he had seen the bitterness building up between the two. They needed to sort the problems between them out before it seriously started to affect the team. Plus, he thought that he would just easily separate them if it gets too bad.

Never would he had predicted that Sakura would try and stop them herself using a jutsu.

Especially a jutsu that he had only seen Orochimaru use before.

But as he reached the part of the collision, he hesitated. 

Something Tsunade picked up on.

”What? Why did you pause?” Her hair hid her face but her voice cracked with emotion.

As Kakashi retold the events that occurred, he noticed something that threw him for a loop.

Tsunade loved Naruto.

Not to be unexpected as no one who meets him can’t help but care for the brat, but this was different.

Tsunade loved Naruto like she loved Nawaki, her brother, and Dan, her former lover.

Who both died a brutal death.

Kakashi loved all his students dearly but Naruto was his sensei’s son. There was a special place in his heart for him. 

After all of Kakashi’s teammates died, the Fourth Hokage was the only reason he held on to his emotions.

But then he died too, saving the village and sealing the Nine-Tails Fox into his newborn son.

Naruto was the splitting image of his father. Albeit he has some idiotic moments, his strong will and stubbornness evoked the same feeling of fondness his sensei had.

That being said, Kakashi didn’t think he could handle Naruto dying.

More importantly, he didn’t think his _mind_ could Naruto dying.

There was a high chance his mind could have imagined some mystical seals so he wouldn’t break down from seeing his students disintegrate.

Tsunade left the village because she couldn’t handle the death of her loved ones.

In fact, Kakashi is sure that Naruto convinced her to become the fifth Hokage.

Would telling her what he saw give her false hope?

Did what he saw even happened?

”Kakashi.”

He had to say something. 

But what?

Should he report on what could be his delusions?

Or should he just face the truth that Naruto and Sasuke are dead, and his brain is fried from Itachi’s Tsukiyomi and years of seeing his loved ones die?

Before Kakashi could make a decision, He  was saved by a knock on the door.

Without bothering to address himself, in walked one of the oldest, and powerful elders in Konoha, Danzo Shimura.

The atmosphere turned cold and rotten, as his face held a deep frown.

”Princess Tsunade.”

For the first time since she actually gained her nickname as an alcoholic, Tsunade looked hungover.

”What could you possibly want, Danzo?”

”I find it very telling how the first day you step into office, Konoha have lost two of its most greatest weapons.”

With an anger-powered fist, Tsunade split her desk into two.

”How could you have possibly known that!?”

”That is none of your concern. What you should focus on is how to rectify the fact that our village is now unbalanced in power with the other great villages.”

Danzo’s single eye narrowed as he looked around at the occupants of the room.

”Without the Nine-Tails Vessel, and the Last Uchiha, this village will be no more.”

It was a bold statement to make, one that was possible but not believable.

”What makes you think that I’ll let this village fall? The hopes and dreams of my grandfather ... of the ninjas ... of the people ... they all lie on my shoulders and I refuse to fail them because of one setback.”

By now, Tsunade had retied her hair, adjusted her green yukata (AN: not really sure if it’s this or a kimono...), and was standing over Danzo.

Her confidence brought back hope for Kakashi, but Danzo’s demeanor never wavered.

”Revel in your foolishness then. Meanwhile, I’ll prepare this village for dark days.”

Danzo headed for the door, but was interrupted by a ninja rushing through.

”Lady Tsunade, you won’t believe ... oh Danzo-Sama .... was I interrupting something?”

Tsunade waved her hand dismissing the ninja’s worries.

”Nevermind him. What was it you wanted to tell me?”

”Jiraiya-sama had us searching through the rubble for any bodies but one of us found something .... I don’t know how to explain...”

”So, you rushed into my office just to say “I don’t know”?”

The ninja stammered but Tsunade turned her anger somewhere else.

”Jiraiya! Who said you have the authority to assign my ninjas?”

”You know I loved the boy as well—“

”That doesn’t have anything to do with this!”

”You would have never given the order. I was sparing you the heartache.”

”We have just lost half of the hospital building and you want to waste our manpower on searching—“

”I won’t let you deny this, Naruto is —“

”Naruto and Sasuke are still alive.”

All the occupants in the room paused with Kakashi’s statement.

He wasn’t planning on saying it so publicly, but ...

”What did you say, Kakashi?” Jiraiya’s eyes burned with suspicion as if any wrong move and he will end him on the spot.

But Kakashi won’t doubt his eye.

”Right when Naruto and Sasuke’s jutsus hit, I saw something as I was thrown off the rooftop. The chakra unleashed from the attack didn’t explode but imploded. Like something contained it. The resulting chakra remained turned into kanji characters. I believe that—“

”You believe that some unknown entity sealed the Nine Tails Jinchuruki and the Uchiha right at the moment of the explosion?” Danzo asked, his tone dripping with skepticism.

”Kakashi, you were there observing the fight, and so was I, further off? Don’t you think between two of us, we will notice someone lurking in the village? Not to mention that I didn’t see anything that suggest something was being sealed?” Jiraiya questioned.

”If I may so intrude, I believe that what we discovered may support Kakashi-Senpai’s claims.” The ninja that rushed in answered.

”Tsunade-Sama, what should we do?” Shizune cuddled Ton-Ton as she asked.

Tsunade stared down at the desk she broke, not even acknowledging Shizune’s question.

In a move that surprised everyone, she picked up the two pieces up the desk and set them upright.

”On my word as the fifth hokage, this incident will be solved!”

Tsunade jumped through the window, rushing towards the hospital.

Danzo scowled at the hokage’s boorishness, while Jiraiya and Shizune looked on with a smile.

_’Well, there’s only one thing to do then.’_

Kakashi followed the hokage’s steps and leaped through the broken window.

 

* * *

 

 Hinata had a set routine.

Years of disappointing everyone around her had shown her the importance of keeping some things consistent.

Right now, Hinata would be hiding behind the telephone pole next to the local ramen stand. It was Naruto’s favorite store to visit and Hinata loved to watch Naruto binge on copious plates of ramen.

It wasn’t seeing Naruto eat that made her happy, but it was the way Naruto’s mood lifted considerably. It was here that Naruto would laugh, grin and smile.

A real smile. Not the ones that he fabricated for the villagers.

In her reverie, Hinata tripped over some debris. She fell to the ground face down, her bag spilling all its contents on the dirt.

With as much grace as she can muster, Hinata knelt back up and gathered all her belongings.

Bandages.

Rubbing Alcohol.

Medicinal Spreads.

She clipped her bag shut and ran with much more careful steps to the remains of the hospital.

Only half of the building was standing. The unlucky half had been decimated to dust and rubble. Even as Jiraiya-Sama had contained the explosion, it still wiped out the quarantine section and critical care section. 

It is estimated that over a thousand people died.

And Hinata cared about that.

But she was much more worried about Naruto.

When she heard the explosion, her first instinct was to use the **Byakugan** to check who was invading.

But there was no invasion. Instead, her heart broke when she recognized Naruto’s chakra in the mix of the energy blast.

Hinata knows enough of village politics to  realize that this will be a major point in Konoha’s history. The village was already trying to recover from Orochimaru’s invasion, but this blast will only hinder the village’s progress. Word leaking out about this incident will cause less mission requests for the village, costing Konoha more money.

And Naruto, the most hated in the village, is in the center of the explosion.

Hinata didn’t think she could do anything to help him. Even as the future clan heir (only in name), she doesn’t have enough power to save Naruto from the heavy punishment he is bound to receive. The village might imprison for life or worse.

She really didn’t want to think about the worst outcome.

Regardless, she’s sure that he survived the blast, and he’s probably in the hospital. She has to see him. Say one last goodbye.

Maybe even confess her feelings for him.

But as Hinata rushed to the hospital area, she realized it would be much harder to find Naruto than she anticipated.

She hadn’t reached the main hospital area but the land surrounded it had been evacuated to make space for the hospital activities.The hospital staff had even made makeshift beds and tents to treat victims of the blast. Some areas were sealed off, the yellow and black barriers signifying quarantine zones.

It was in times like this that Hinata was glad that she was a Hyuuga.

She activated her Byakugan, looking for the warm, burst of chakra she had familiarized herself with over the years.

Her eyes scanned the area but none of the chakra matched the one she was looking for. She was surrounded by a sea of chakra fading like her confidence.

In a bout of panic, Hinata rushed more chakra into her eyes, only to find Naruto’s teammate, Sakura Haruno.

Hinata ran to where Sakura was being handled. She wasn’t so close to Sakura but if anyone knew where Naruto could be, it would be her.

“Ow.” Hinata heard Sakura complain as a med-nin injected her with a needle.

”Sakura. I need your help.” Hinata forced herself to project.

”Oh, Hinata! Sorry, I’m not used to your voice being so loud, not that it’s a bad thing, of course!” Sakura rubbed her sore arm, trying to avoid eye contact.

“Um ... What do you need me for?”

”Please, can you tell me where Naruto is? I tried searching for him but ...” 

At this, Sakura’s polite demeanor broke down completely.

Her face turned red, and wrinkled with sadness. She tried to wipe her eyes but tears kept flowing and even her nose was watery. Giving up, Sakura wiped her nose  on her tattered dress.

”.....Sasuke .... Naruto....” She wailed, snot and tears mixing.

It was disgusting, indignified, and revolting.

It also wasn’t true.

”If you didn’t know, you should have just said so. I will find him myself.” Hinata said in a curt tone.

She launched herself off and landed to the nearest rooftop, racing to where she first picked up Naruto’s chakra.

She was going fast, barely noticing Sakura’s yells and footsteps following her.

Perhaps Sakura hit her head too hard during the explosion. Naruto was alive. Maybe he was just sleeping, and she’s so used to seeing Naruto’s chakra burn so brightly that she just can’t find him.

As Hinata went further in, she picked up the smell of ozone and ashes. The ground turned darker and darker as she dashed, with her lengthening her jumps to compensate for the widening gaps between rocks.

Finally she leaped on to a giant column of rock, not sure on what she’ll find.

She heard a gasp beside her, signaling that Sakura had caught up.

Hinata didn’t have a response better than that.

The smell of ozone had petrified, shifting into a putrid stench she couldn’t put her finger on. As Hinata exhaled, she could see her breath, a result of the difference in not temperature but air quality. The black particles drifting in the wind mixed with the sweltering heat, compressing the area so as fresh oxygen seemed more like a luxury.

The landscape was no better, and it explained why the hospital had to be moved further away. The dirt was sticky and black like charcoal. It clung on her shoes and the ground like molasses. The buildings were completely demolished, only chunks of steel and metal remained scattered across the wasteland. 

Unfortunately, that wasn’t even the worse part.

Above Hinata’s head floated thousand of pieces of debris, held together by black seals overlapping each other. They shook and crumbled bit by bit as the wind whipped against them but remained united.

”Wh-What? It wasn’t like this when the explosion happened...” 

But there was something bugging Hinata. At the corner of her mind, something was pushing at her, scuttling around her brain in an attempt to get her attention but escaping her every time she came close.

Something was telling her to keep moving forward.

Her sandals brush against the edge of a cliff but she jumped off with no hesitation.

She landed upright, felt the force from the landing hurt her knees, but she kept going forward. 

She had to keep going.

“Hin....”

Keep going...

”Hin...”

She was so close to something, some epiphany, a discovery, all she had to do...

”....”

Just.

”....”

Keep.

”...”

Moving!

 

”HINATA!”

 

With a shock equivalent to being poured cold water, Hinata flew into awareness.

Her attention went to the hand gripping her arm like it was a life support. 

“Come on, this isn’t safe!” Sakura pulled Hinata hard, and with her not putting any  resistance, brought them both down into the concrete.

Wait .... concrete?

She pushed her feet against the floor to confirm that, yes, she was currently on concrete and not acidic dirt.

”Sakura, what happened... where are we?”

Sakura pushed herself off with a grunt and grabbed Hinata a second afterwards.

”This is where the hospital used to be...”

But before Hinata could ask any more questions, she felt herself flying, everywhere blurring around her, and then she was back on top of the cliff.

”Are both of you guys alright?”

Hinata turned and saw Kakashi-Sensei, the leader of Team 7.

”Kaka-Sensei!” Sakura ran and hugged her teacher, before erupting into sobs.

The teacher froze in surprise for a second, but eventually melted into the embrace, patting Sakura’s head and whispering comforting words.

Seeing the warm moment made something inside Hinata ache. 

But that wasn’t important right now.

“... Shit...”

Green robes flew in the harsh wind like a resolute flag as the hokage leaped onto the cliff.

”Hokage-Sama!” Hinata ignored all her conflicting feelings to bow fully at the waist to her new leader.

”How could this had happened, this area was normal when I contained the blast?” An old man with white hair and intricate clothes said as he joined the hokage.

”You two shouldn’t be around here, this place is too dangerous for genins.” Tsunade-Sama scolded.

While Sakura looked repentant, Hinata remembered her self-appointed mission.

”I know I’m weak ... but I need to know where Naruto is. He didn’t die in whatever that blast was. Naruto is strong and he never gives up. He won’t let something like that finish him off... I have to ...” Hinata trailed off, as her thoughts became harder to put into her words.

”Haven’t your feelings already led him to you? Look at where you were heading to.”

Listening to the stranger’s words, Hinata looked off the cliff to see the rooftop.

She couldn’t see it from when she was on but from an elevated point-of-view, she could fully examine the area.

As the chasm got more deeper, the dirt got harder until the direct center that was complete concrete. It looked like  the rooftop had been blown off the hospital and had somehow merged with the ground.

Then, she looked at the middle of the crater.

Kanjis swum and float around the center, rearranging in a constant stance of motion. They whipped around together in black lines, as if barricading the seal. It was surprising that Hinata managed to get close enough to almost step into the middle without interfering with any of the sealing mechanisms.

Nothing, however, was more surprising than the enormous seal covering the former rooftop.

Especially since it was the combined shape of the Uzumaki swirl and Uchiha fan.

”It seems like my mind wasn’t just playing tricks.”

Kakashi-Sensei rose one hand into the air, his fingers trying to grasp one of the black flecks swirling in the air.

”Whatever this seal is, it seems like it operates from their chakra. The heat and lightning strikes come from Sasuke, as I assume the wind and humidity comes from Naruto.” The old man with the white hair looked down at the crate with an indiscernible gaze.

”We can discuss the seal later! What I want is for all ninjas unassigned to search this village and find the ninja that came undetected and sealed off two of our genins!”

Tsunade-Sama pushes her heels into the murky dirt.

”Can you undo this Jiraiya? How can someone even seal a person?” Tsunade asked the man whose name was Jiraiya.

Jiraiya pinched his nose and sighed.

“In all my journeys and travels, I have never heard of a jutsu like this before. It’s safe to assume that they’re both alive since they sealed rather than attacked them but still ... the sheer power required to pull off something like this ... I imagine even combining all of the tailed beasts wouldn’t be enough.”

Seal? Tailed Beasts? 

Hinata lost track of the conversation but when she was following it, she learnt one thing.

Naruto was sealed.

Seals require chakra to be activated.

Without a moment to lose, Hinata activated her Byakugan and looked at the seal with a different perspective.

Meanwhile, she listened on to Jiraiya’s rambling.

”Hime, whoever did this must have been watching them fight. I don’t think that the person started the fight but still... their skills are nothing we have ever faced. They entered the village without detection, hid from both Kakashi and I, and sealed Naruto and Sasuke right before the explosion occurred. Since we never saw them, they were fast enough to escape the blast even as they were right in the center of it. That’s as fast as The Yellow Flash!”

”Jiraiya, we fought in a war not too long ago, we can handle a single man. Beside, I asked you to undo this seal, not wax poetry about our invader.”

”I would have to get closer...”

But as they were arguing, Hinata noticed the chakra flowing around the seal.

The bulk of it was Naruto and Sasuke, with a small piece belonging to someone unknown but she recognized.

But there were little swabs of chakra floating around that were more familiar.

Some she had noticed faintly from her past missions and some closer to her.

They swirled together chaotically, bouncing against the seal as if trying to escape.

Yet, the mass got denser. Like it was increasing.

Wait.

She had felt that chakra before...

She knew it like the back of her hand.

But there was no possible way unless...

”Stay back!” Hinata screamed, leaping further away from the cliff.

”What’s wrong, Hyuuga?”

”The seal is absorbing chakra, everyone in the village is at risk!”

”WHAT?!”

Hinata paced up and down, cursing everything in sight. If Hanabi’s chakra is in there, then that means something is wrong with her sister.

The only reason she hasn’t left this abyss is because every atom of her blood demands her to wait for dismissal from the hokage.

Hinata has never hated decorum as much as now.

”What do you mean it’s absorbing chakra?” 

“When I looked into the seal with my Byakugan, I could see the different chakras from people I helped in my missions. From the amount I saw, those people would be drained of almost all their chakra.”

Damn... she needed to see Hanabi. Now.

“So it doesn’t drain chakra according to proximity? The leaf village still has a chance for survival?”

Hinata stopped her ideas on leaving quickly while still being respectful to look at the newcomers.

Old man. White robes. Damaged arm. One eye.

Hinata made a silent curse. She recognized him enough to know he was an elder of the leaf village, someone she should definitely not disrespect or risk wrath on her clan.

But clan honor is nothing compared to the life of her sister.

“It must be based on random. Though it looks like it’s tending towards larger and unique sources of chakra since it sorta pulled Hinata towards it.” Sakura deduced.

”Excuse me, but If possible, I would like to go back to my compound. As heir to the Hyuuga clan, I must know the damage this has dealt.” Hinata needed to go but she waited for the hokage’s approval.

”Tsunade-Sama, I just came back from the hospital and there’s an influx of ninjas suffering from chakra exhaustion. What should we do?” A woman wearing a black robe (carrying a pig?) ran towards the hokage.

Hinata didn’t have time for this.

”You guys shouldn’t be here anyway, I’ll take both you and Sakura back home.” Kakashi-Sensei said and looked back at the hokage.

While there was no change in her stony facade, but something must have shown her approval because Hinata was suddenly in the air once again.

But even as she felt weightless physically, she couldn’t say the same thing for her emotions.

 

* * *

“Hey! Hey! You think just because you have those damn eyes you can ignore me?!”

Itachi proceeded to ignore him anyway.

The cave they were in was damp, dirty, and dark. 

A perfect place for someone like himself.

Pain had scheduled another meeting but Itachi and Kisame were close enough that they could rendezvous in a nearby cave with another Akatsuki pair, Deidara and Sasori.

It was easier when they were all far away and communicating via jutsus.

The only person he truly got along with was Kisame, and he was a murderer.

But then again, Itachi couldn’t judge.

”As much as I enjoy hearing your squabble, I rather go back to my bounty hunting, so let’s wrap this meeting up.” Kakuzu said, black threads peeking out of his robe as a warning.

”Fuck off, Kakuzu! Your bounties are shit if they aren’t in the name of Jashin!” Hidan stretched his arms.

”Hey, will you freak shows shut up! I have some exciting news to share.” Deidara yelled at the pair.

”Guess what Sasori heard recently?”

”Not this again, have you been talking to that snake-shit?” Hidan said, unimpressed.

”What words could you have from our past associate that could possibly interest us?” Whether it’s because she grew tired of the conversation or was truly interested, Konan spoke for the first time since the meeting started.

“It’s more a joke, really. I just thought the whole group might find it funny.” Deidara smirked as if he couldn’t hold back a laugh.

”Deidara, there’s a reason why I didn’t tell you this before.” Sasori said under his puppet suit.

”Yeah, and it was a stupid ass reason.” Deidara replied back in anger.

Then, he turned towards Itachi and pointed his finger at him.

”You think you’re such tough shit, huh? Everyone and everything is beneath you because you have those fucking eyes?! Well, Looks like they did nothing for your little brother!”

 

........

 

”That’s right, he’s dead! Your little brother got blown to pieces and those eyes did shit for him. The snake was all hissy about it but if you asked me, he didn’t deserve a death as beautiful as that.

 

..........

 

“After all, art is an EXPLOSION!”

 

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Itachi stopped the jutsu, disrupting the connection for the whole group. One by one, each holograph disappeared until they were only four people left in the cave.

“What did you do that for?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

The cave was gone, and so was the surrounding forest.

Black flames, clay bits, and puppet parts adorned the war zone.

They were only two people left in the wreckage.

”Kisame.”

”Hmm.”

”I’m heading back to Konoha ...... you’re not obliged to follow me.” Itachi walked off, eyes darker than the corpses still burning in his flames.

Kisame turned towards his sword, delighting in the sound of its chomping.

”Heh, I’m with you ‘til the end of the line, Itachi. Besides....”

Kisame followed Itachi’s steps, walking over a limb and black sand.

”Something tells me I’m about to have more fun than I did in the bloody mist.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very unsexy of me to type this and post without checking grammar. Lmao it’s not like I’m in high school anymore...
> 
> Hey guys, Prologue is updated with new details.
> 
> Don’t worry you won’t have to read it all over again. I made sure to clearly note it. You don’t have to read it, honestly. I’m just correcting some things. It’s more for me tbh.
> 
> ALSO THANKS FOR THE COMMENTS AND KUDOS, I’M SORRY I HAVEN’T RESPONDED, I’M SHY AND STUPID WITH SAYING STUFF, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
> 
> Also, I’m trying to write long chapters but they probably going to vary in length. This chapter was surprisingly long, and even more surprisingly cut into a different chapter. Also next chapter will go back to Naruto and will be crazy as shit, I think....
> 
> I think Ill Finally introduce marvel characters three more chapter from now (at least the ones I care about) it’s hard cause I have to switch perspectives based on dimensions the Chapter occurs in.


	5. Step Four: Bless Your Attachments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything goes wrong and nobody can trust themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I swear I was writing.
> 
> This. Was. The. Hardest. Fucking. Chapter . I . Have. Ever. Written. In. My. Life.
> 
> Even writing the author’s notes are hard  
> :( :( :(
> 
> This is the first chapter I have ever actually edited, but only because it’s long as hell. I had to fit a lot of shit that happens because I didn’t feel like prolonging the trauma for too long
> 
> Well, I’m done.. read this while I cry over the brain cells I spent writing this
> 
> Also, I watched a video for research purposes on how English sound to non-English speakers and djdjdhdgsgsg I swear we sound just like the fucking Sims.
> 
> Plus, I watched Iron Fist, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage. All of them! The Punisher has to wait but I’m pretty much where I want to be with all Marvel Shows :) I’m sorry this chapter took so long 
> 
> I still don’t like Daniel Rand but I didn’t watch 13 episodes of his shit to NOT put him in.

Quick important notes:

*The POV switches a lot between Naruto and Sasuke so if the font is normal, assume the current speaker is speaking Japanese.

“Hi, I eat cereal with milk” - Japanese

_”Hi, I drink cereal with water” - English_

**”Hi, I am a cereal demon” - Kurama talking.**

Inner Thoughts won’t be used until I say so.

Some sections might entirely be italics but I tried my best.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

* * *

Naruto fell out of the dark void.

His jacket flung in all directions, and his hair whipped against his cheeks.

He tumbled through the air as he flipped around in an attempt to reorient himself.

Eventually, his voice went hoarse from screaming, and his arms became sore from swinging them.

Then, he turned his head and saw glassy structures.

But what he really focused on was his reflection.

His favorite orange jumpsuit was torn to shreds, with the threads detaching as he fell.

Somehow, he had lost one of his sandals, and his skin was discolored.

Naruto tried to look closer as if he could figure out what damaged him when he felt something grab his wrist.

Suddenly, Naruto felt himself spinning, his vision becoming a blur of white, black and blue.

Then, just as quickly, whatever grabbed him let go.

But in some instilled instinct, Naruto reached out and grabbed a wrist.

Force and velocity worked together to fling Naruto and whatever he grabbed into the glass, shards piercing him like Haku’s senbons.

His body flew in the air for a few seconds before he ended up sliding and colliding with something hard.

He didn’t even have a moment to breathe before something hit him hard against his chest.

As he laid head down on the floor, he could hear glass shards falling, and screams.

Naruto tried pushing the weight off his body but he realized he couldn’t move his arms.

By now, every organ in his body ached, and he was 100% sure blood was spurting through his lips.

Yet, Naruto could only feel the sensation of hair tickling his nose.

Naruto’s vision had begun to blur, with his peripheral becoming darker.

All he could hear was screeches, mumbles, and crying.

At some point, something put a bright light to his eyes.

But the pull of unconsciousness became too much to ignore, and Naruto faded out with one thought on his mind:

”Heh, who’s the deadweight now?”

... 

... 

Screaming.

Something was screaming.

It felt hot, and wet, and dark.

Blood stuck to his sandals and burned through the soles.

His eyes were open, but it was so dark that he might as well have closed them.

He blinked when he felt water droplets splashed against his face, heat permeating along with the moistness.

Suddenly, he felt himself choking on liquid. He flung his arms out in an attempt to hold onto something. 

Swept aside by a torrent, his head bobbed up and down, in a desperate attempt to grab oxygen.

Eventually, the deluge ebbed out, and he was left floating upwards on blood.

Possessed by some feeling of curiosity, he stuck his tongue out and tasted salt.

Oh.

Someone was crying, and he was drowning in their tears.

Naruto woke up.

And immediately wished he hadn’t.

A bright light was burning his eyes, and wherever he was smelled like chemicals.

Naruto hated hospitals.

They were all filled with sick people, dead people, angry people, and hospital people.

None of which liked him.

The sun (maybe?) was starting to burn his eyes, so he tried to lift his hand up to block it. But he couldn’t, he couldn’t even feel his body.

At the sound of his groans, Naruto heard some noises and shuffling.

The sunlight disappeared and Naruto felt comfortable enough to open his eyes.

The room was just like a normal hospital room. It was white, plain, and full of hospital things he didn’t really care about. The one thing that he hadn’t recognized was a big black box hanging across the wall. Inside it was colorful animals he hasn’t seen before. 

And they weren’t making any noise too.

Were they trapped in there?

Then, all the animals disappeared, and Naruto vaguely saw his own reflection.

”Hey, can you hear me? Can you understand me?” Someone asked.

Naruto turned his head to see who was talking.

The lady was pale, with black eyes. She was wearing a black, long dress, and she sat close to him radiating ease and sophistication.

She had a really nice voice, and she was pretty too.

“Yeah...” Naruto replied, a little weirded out by how quiet his voice came out.

Then, his attention shifted at the sound of someone else’s voice.

There was a man there that was fiddling with curtains, and writing stuff down. His clothes looked like they belonged to a nurse but he didn’t understand anything coming out from the guy’s mouth.

The man looked at him and babbled out gibberish. There was a pause, and he looked at him expectantly, as if he wanted him to say something.

Naruto definitely had something to say.

”What’s going on? You sound so weird. You can’t just make up words like that, ya’ know?”

”He’s not making up words, he’s just speaking in another language.” The lady answered Naruto while replying back in those weird sounds to that man.

“But, besides that, I want to introduce myself, my name is Ms. Ikuhara, and I’ll be translating whatever you say to Mr. Hunter, your nurse. What’s your name?”

Everything seemed so off to Naruto. Why was there a guy speaking another language? What’s with the black box thing?

In fact, there were a lot of devices that Naruto didn’t recognize before.

But these people were nice. Even though he couldn’t understand the nurse, he didn’t look at him angrily or spilled things on him. Maybe, it’s because they didn’t know him.

It was weird, people being nice to him.

But it wasn’t bad.

”Naruto Uzumaki! Number one greatest ninja, and future Hokage!” Naruto sat up (his body wasn’t feeling weird anymore) to yell it.

Instead of the exasperated sighs he usually got from telling people his ambitions, the nurse and lady laughed a bit, their faces lighting up with amusement.

The nurse said something he couldn’t understand as he wrote more stuff down on his clipboard.

”Mr. Hunter asked if that was why you decided to jump off that rooftop?” The lady translated.

Naruto felt his face heat up as he stuttered for an explanation.

“I di—I didn’t jump off the rooftop! That teme pushed me off! Or I think... I know we were fighting....umm...” Naruto trailed off. 

He didn’t really remember how the fight ended with him falling off the rooftop. He knows Sasuke was challenging him, and he accepted so he could beat that smug look off his face. He remembers punching and kicking but everything is a bit blurry in his head. 

He kicked Sasuke up in the air.....didn’t he? Or was that a punch? 

Everything was unclear until the point he found himself falling in the air.

”Don’t you remember it?” The lady asked.

“Not really.”

“Okay, Naruto. Let’s start you off with something easy. What do you think the date is?”

”I don’t know. Ummmm.....Oh yeah! It’s August 2nd!”

“Actually, it’s the 14th. You were unconscious for almost two weeks. You’re very lucky, few people survive the injuries you got from your fall.”

The 14th. That means that Naruto had been unconscious for 12 days. 

No ramen.

No training.

No future hokaging.

For 12 days.

Naruto was so confused. How could it have been 12 days? He had been struck by senbons, eaten by a snake, and even fought a giant sand monster, but he has never been in the hospital for 12 days.

The interpreter leaned in closer, her voice becoming quieter.

”Okay, listen to me. Naruto, right? You didn’t just survive a 22 story drop; you survived a 22 story drop and healed from the damage in a matter of days. You’re a regular Lazarus, kid.”

Naruto squeezed his face in confusion. The nine-tails has always healed him from his injuries. It wasn’t anything amazing or “Lazarus”. In fact, it was actually slower than usual.

Besides, people don’t usually praise the ability of the demon that almost destroyed their village.

But the interpreter still continued to speak.

“There’s a lot of doctors that want to study you so they could find out what makes you heal, and how to use it for other patients. Our hospital has calls coming in from medical agencies, journalists, researchers, and others begging us to release you to them.”

She looked back at the window with hooded eyes. Suddenly, the air in the room turned icy.

”I managed to eavesdrop on one of the board members for the hospital. They’re wavering under the pressure. That’s why I need you to trust me. We have to get you out of here as soon as possible before the wrong people buy the board’s mind.”

Everything here is so wrong. There are so many things that don’t make sense.

”Where am I?” Naruto finally asked.

”New York.”

New York? Naruto had never heard of there before. 

No, this is something weird. He was in Konoha about to wipe the floor with Sasuke’s ass. This had to be some type of genjutsu.

He sucked at genjutsu though.

Wait...

”My friend! I have to see my friend before I do anything!” Naruto said to the nurse.

”Your friend? Do you mean the kid that was with you?”

”Yeah, yeah!”

If Naruto could meet up with Sasuke, then he could release the genjutsu for him. Maybe he was already out, and just waiting for the right moment to rub it in his face but he’ll still go to him anyway.

”We really need to leave...”

”I have to talk to him, I won’t leave my friends behind, dattebayo!”

”I don’t understand the exact details of what you’re saying but I get the point. Can you get down?”

Naruto wiggled his toes to see if there was any feeling. His body still felt a little heavy, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle, so he jumped out of bed.

”I’m fine.”

The nurse’s eyes widened and he stared at Naruto.

” _ How are you standing straight up? There was enough anesthetic in you to put a horse to sleep. Are you a mutant? Did the government really authorize this, ma’am? _ ” The nurse asked the lady as she started to sift through her bag.

” _ You’ve done your part, sir. Just leave the rest to me. _  Wear this hat and surgical mask, we don’t want anyone to recognize you.” She handed Naruto something red, and a blue piece of paper tied with strings.

How would they hide his looks?

Naruto didn’t realize he had asked his question out loud until he saw the nurse saying some things in the other language.

”It’s a hat and mask. The hat will cover your hair and the mask, your face.”

The red thing didn’t look like a mask so he put that on his head, and stuffed his hair into it.

The blue mask thingy had a string, so maybe to tie it, but it was too small to cover his entire face.

”How am I supposed to mask my face? It’s not big enough, ya’know?”

”It’s not covering your whole face, it’s only supp— do you....have you ever seen this type of mask before?”

”Nope! Also, since we’re talking about things I haven’t seen before, what’s that black box over there? Why are you keeping animals in there? Or what’s the thing by the window? What language are you guys talking in and why does it sound so weird? This robe is weird and short, I don’t want people to see my ass when I bend down... What’s that stuff on the wall?”

Naruto took a breath from talking so much. But by the time he was ready to ask more questions, the lady had grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the room.

”TV. Those animals aren’t real, they are just programs that the TV project. Thing by the window was the A.C. Almost everyone here speaks English. Suck it up with the robe, and you were looking at the charger ports. You’re really curious, huh? Haven’t you heard of any of these things?”

”What? My village doesn’t have these stuff. They sound made-up anyway. I bet it’s all just junk.” 

“Village? You come from a village?  _ Explains a lot. _  Where exactly are you from?”

”Konoha, The village hidden in the leaves! The best village in the world!”

”Okay, but how did you come from some village hidden by leaves to New York?”

“Eh... I don’t really know. One second, I was fighting, the next second, I ended in the hospital.”

”That fall you took was rough. I don’t see any other symptoms that suggest otherwise but you could have gotten a concussion and lost your memory.”

”But I remember everything in my life except that fight!”

”It doesn’t have to be full-on amnesia. You could forget bits of your life like a certain event... Do you remember your parents?”

At this, Naruto stopped. Ms. Ikuhara’s hand hung against Naruto’s but he couldn’t move. 

Suddenly, Naruto wasn’t a ninja anymore. He was four years old in an ugly orphanage where all the kids called him a demon, took his portions, ripped his clothes, beat him up and then laughed at him when the caretaker hit him.

He wasn’t four but six, getting a small but quiet apartment, begging Jiji to tell him anything about his parents but he’s here, and they aren’t, so he shouldn’t think about that.

Now he’s right at the night after graduation. He has to get the forbidden scroll but he has a few minutes. There are a million scrolls in here but one of them, any of them, they had to have something about an Uzu—

“I don’t have parents.”

Everyone looked at him. Somehow, he wasn’t in the tiny hallway trying to keep up but he was in a bigger room with so many adults.

Almost all of them were holding kids.

”Come on. Let’s just go to the room, okay?” Ms. Ikuhara held on to Naruto’s hand with a stronger grip and led him away from the crowd.

They kept moving and moving and moving, and they didn’t stop until they were right in front of a white door.

Then, she squatted down, her eyes staring right at Naruto’s.

”Jeez, it’s Meet Ironman Day, and every family came down to meet the guy and... I shouldn’t have been so crass. You know, if you were willing to, we could talk—“

He didn’t want to have this conversation. She was hitting way too close, and its’ never a good idea to talk to Sasuke with red eyes, so Naruto nudged her aside to open the door.

The door opened quietly, and the first thing Naruto noticed when he walked in was how dark the room was.

The curtain was drawn close, and the lights were turned off, yet the faint lights glowing from devices drenched the room in muted shades of blue.

It was quiet too, with occasional beeps interrupting the silence. Not even the light sounds of breathing could break it. It almost seemed like no one was there.

Yet, as Naruto stood in front of the hospital bed, staring into pitch-black eyes, he couldn’t tell what was really there or not.

It went on like that for a while, blue eyes and black. Something akin to magnets that weren’t quite alike or different. Dispelling and attracting each other simultaneously. Both Norths and both Souths and both North and Souths. Gazing at each other as if they would find some type of meaning hidden in blue and black eyes.

Naruto didn’t want to back down by looking away, but maybe if he looked hard enough, he could know what’s Sasuke was thinking.

But Sasuke’s thoughts weren’t coherent enough for Naruto to understand from a stare.

Despite that, Sasuke didn’t look confused. It was like he knew exactly when Naruto would come in. It was like he was playing a game and holding all the winning pieces. His face seemed devoid of emotion but Naruto knew better. The chin tilted slightly upwards, the crossed arms, the subtle downward inclination of his lips; they created an air of condescension that stepped on anyone that even looked towards his direction.

And Naruto was sick of it.

“Sasuke.”

“...”

”...Bastard. Is this really the time to be ignoring me?”

”...”

”...Why should I listen to you?”

”What?”

”Hn. Why. Should. I. Listen. To. You.”

”Because we’re stuck in some weird genjutsu or reality or something!”

It hasn’t always been hard talking to him, has it?

Sasuke is anything that has the word “ass” in it but now, it’s like he decided to up the attitude.

Sasuke pushed his bangs out of his face as if to give a sharper glare. ”This isn’t a genjutsu, if your abilities in chakra control weren’t below mediocrity, you would have figured that out.” 

Naruto clutched his knuckles so hard they turned white.

”You ass! Keep talking like that and I’ll break you like a stick.”

”You wouldn’t land a finger on me.”

As soon as Sasuke said that, Naruto dashed forward and grabbed Sasuke’s collar. His grip shifted them closer, enough that Sasuke couldn’t look down at him.

”I would, and maybe I would even beat the attitude outta you.”

Sasuke glared hard at him. Pitch black eyes grew hot with anger and cold with superiority.

”You’re weak. The bottom scraps that no one would bother with. You make empty threats and loud noise but the only thing that barely justified your existence is your chakra. Without that, you’re trash with no ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu skills.” He slapped Naruto’s hand away.

“You didn’t think I noticed? The stares and words that are thrown every time we walked into the village. Everyone knows just how pathetic you are. Maybe if the Third had listened to people and put you out of your miserable existence, the village wouldn’t have to waste valuable resources training a worthless, idiotic freak. I’m done putting up with you, and I’m done listening to you.”

“I’ll find a way back to Konoha on my own. Nothing will ever distract on my mission again.” With that, Sasuke pushed Naruto away from him.

Naruto fell into the cupboard, the doors shaking from the impact. Bottles and cups threaten to fall but after a few seconds, remains steady.

That wasn’t the case for Naruto. He could feel something rot inside him at the sound of Sasuke’s words. It decayed and festered with each syllable Sasuke spent demeaning him. It was dirty and filthy but not unfamiliar. It piled up inside him every day in the village. A despair that can only come from being scorned as a demon. Isolated. Despised. Hated.

** From existing. **

The thought that Sasuke could lower himself to take cheap shots but still act like he’s on a higher ground loosened his tongue.

The anger he had bottled up starting ripping him from the inside. There was something, maybe a voice, telling him to hurt him as much as he was hurt. To make him suffer.

** Make him break down. **

”I don’t need your help either. Why would I want someone as whiny as you? You think you’re the only person with problems? You think you’re the only person who’s alone? You’re not!”

Once he started talking, it was like something broke inside of him. Thoughts he hid inside his heart poured out and emptied out into the room, contaminating it. It didn’t matter, though. Naruto wouldn’t stop.  ** Not until everything is gone. **

“I never had anything to begin with. You had everything: family, skills, adoration. Do you wanna switch places? See how it feels to know everyone hates you because you exist? No skills to validate your life? Spending your nights wondering whether your parents really are dead or maybe they couldn’t stand to love someone as awful as you?”

Naruto’s eyes had grown cold now. The breathtaking ocean blue had become polluted, dull and sharp like corroded steel.

”I hate you so much. How can anyone be so ungrateful? You don’t know how lucky you are, knowing you experienced a parents' love, being the village’s favorite, having endless money, and resources to become the village’s greatest ninja. But still, you take on that damn attitude, acting like everything is beneath you. Maybe I’m worthless as a ninja, but you’re worthless as a human.”

Naruto took a step towards Sasuke.

”I hope you end up finding your brother.”

Then, he takes another step.

”And I hope you two do the world a favor and end up killing each other.”

Naruto leaned in towards Sasuke. He could feel the involuntary shift he made to put distance between them.

But Naruto doesn’t give way, and shifts in until all he can see is his face.

Every cell in his body wanted to cut Sasuke down to size. Just... ** Destroy Him. **

Knowing what is about to happen, Naruto gripped Sasuke’s shirt once again. Pulling him closer until their foreheads meet, the tiny air between them warm with their intertwining breaths.

”You’re a disappointment to your own clan. And if your parents were still alive to see you now, they’ll run to offer up their necks to Itachi’s blade.”

And Naruto leaned back and banged his forehead against Sasuke’s.

* * *

 

“When you said you wanted to go see him, I thought it would be a friendly meeting and not a WWE Match.”

”...”

”I didn’t catch the conversation but since that room is now closed and the hospital is about ready to kick you out, I assume it went well?”

”...”

The lady sighed as she looked down at where she knelt, the orange neon sandals burning a hole into her vision.

”Look, I know I said this before but just to emphasize; since we still can’t find where you come from, we’re placing you in a foster home. You’re about to stay in one of the world’s biggest city and a minute ago, you had never seen a car before. It’s okay to be freaking out about these things.”

Naruto fidgeted with his bandages as he pressed his ice pack into his black eye.

“I’ll survive. I always do, dattebayo.”

* * *

 

Naruto was starting to think he died and ended up in some really elaborate hell. 

“ _ This! Apple! _ ” The teacher said, pointing at the picture of the red fruit. 

It turns out that the weird language that everyone speaks is called English, and he speaks something called Japanese.

Which sucked.

But not as much as ending up in some weird world without ninjas.

As the Bastard said, he wasn’t in a genjutsu, but he didn’t understand anything that was going on in this world.

When he left the hospital, he got into this weird machine called a car that carried him to what was his “new home”. The place was dirty, run-down, and he saw like five children running down the hallways. When the caretaker was talking to whoever was in the car with him, he sounded sweet and nice. As soon as that person left, they went back to their chair and immediately fell asleep.

He guessed he was put in some type of mini-orphanage, with all the same amount of loneliness and neglect as a regular one. Well, at least in here, the children actually like him.

Or they seemed to by the way they keep climbing on him and screaming.

But it didn’t matter. There had to be a way out of this world. Once Naruto found it, he would be on his way back to his real home.

This thought process gave him hope, but on the other side, it made him think of him.

He couldn’t return back to Konoha without that Bastard but he didn’t know if he that would even be possible with what happened.

Thinking back, maybe he shouldn’t have said those stuff to him. It was kinda messed up. Yeah, he was defending himself, but that’s what his fists are for. It’s not like him to try to hurt people with words.

And seeing the look on his face made him feel satisfied at the moment, but now...

It’s more empty than anything.

** Why? **

Hm?

** Why do you think it’s empty? **

I don’t know. It’s just is.

**..... Are you pitying the Uchiha? **

What? His thoughts were being weird today...

** I am not your thoughts. Think about what could be talking to you. **

Hmmmmmmmhhhhhh.... wait! Are you the Kyuubi?

**.... **

How are we talking like this? Usually, we end up in my mind sewer? How come I can hear you like this? So weird...

** When the Sage created the seal, he had to manipulate my own to make sure I don’t escape. This was one of the side effects. **

....I’m lost. Who’s the sage, and what seal are you talking about?

** Think hard.  **

I am thinking hard, how am I supp— Oh! You’re talking about the old three-eyed guy! I remember him now! Not sure how I forgot him in the first place.

** The Sage put a sort of mental block in the seals. If you aren’t actively thinking of him, you’ll forget him and whatever memory associated with him.  **

That’s why I couldn’t remember the conversation with him! But why would he do that?

** Most likely so you wouldn’t be able to understand how you got here. Without that knowledge, it would be harder to escape this world. **

But why did he put us here? Why did he take us out of Konoha? I mean I can see why he sealed our chakra off ‘cause we almost blew ourselves up but why taking us away?

**... **

Hello? Are you still there?

At this point, Naruto realized he was still in the classroom. Everyone was giving him weird looks including the teacher.

Did he talk out loud?

No, it’s probably because he had started to shake his fists in the air.

Why was he in here anyway? This place was boring and he finished the academy months ago. 

With that, Naruto ran out of the classroom. He kept running, and running, and running. He ran out of the halls, and out of the school, and into the streets. He ran right in front of men wearing a blue uniform. He kept running even when they started to chase him. He ran into a huge crowd and ran around people with weird hair, and weird smells, and weird looks. It seems like he would never stop running.

So, he took a sharp right and ran until he ended up in some alley.

It smelled like piss, and there was garbage all over the place.

But it was quiet.

Hey, Hey! Are you still here? It’s quieter now...

** You should give up. There’s no way you can make it back to Konoha. **

What! Not a chance in hell! I’ll never give up, that’s my ninja way!

** Foolish child. Think for a second: Even if you find a way back to Konoha, what will stop the Sage from picking you up and sending you back here? **

If I meet that old geezer, I’ll stomp on him until he unseals me.

** You’ll stomp on the creator of ninjutsu? **

Uh-huh, and I’ll do it hard!

**....You have guts. Too bad there’s not an actual brain in here. **

Heh, thanks—WAIT I DO HAVE A BRAIN, YOU UGLY FOX!

** Silence, stop your incessant yelling. **

I’m not! I’m thinking hard. Oh, you never answered my question... why did the geezer send us here?

** The reason eludes me as well. He drove out Indra’s and Ashera’s chakra out in the mindscapes. He sealed up your chakras. Whatever he’s doing, it would make no difference whether you were here or in our world. **

Exactly! That’s what I thought.

** I doubt it. **

Hey!

** It seems like the Sage has finally decided to take a more active role in the ninja world. I thought that once he died, he wouldn’t be able to affect this world and would just watch over us in the next, but his mastery of chakra has even conquered death. **

So wait, he’s a gh-ghost?

** No, he’s existing now as a being of chakra but he doesn’t fit your human definitions of a “ghost”. **

Oh, good. 

** I assume you and the Uchiha reminded him too much of his sons, even with their chakras gone. He wanted to wipe his sons' presence out from the world completely. **

That’s not fair! I didn’t ask to be connected with his stupid son.

** You know fully well that life isn’t fair. **

Yea...... but still... you think a “god” would be more understanding...

** That’s your problem, having higher expectations for people. Every being that has an existence will always look out for their selves. To exist, you must be selfish, thinking of yourself to progress your own survival. **

I don’t understand...

** Everyone only cares about themselves. Anything they do, even kind actions, are for themselves. Somehow, you believe that people can be “selfless”, that they can do things from others without an ulterior motive. Yet, you get hurt every time you believe that. **

You’re wrong! There are lots of people that aren’t selfish, like Iruka-Sensei, and Granny Baa-Chan, and Kaka-Sensei.

** Your Iruka treated you just like the others. You believed in him because he knew that you were different from me. But that’s something anyone that thought about you for two seconds could understand. **

No, he did more than—

** Why did you think he went looking for you in the first place when you took that forbidden scroll? Because he had a responsibility as a ninja of Konoha to do so. You really think he didn’t know where you were when you were hiding from him? You were easy enough to understand, needing attention and validation, and only a few words and actions would push you to loyalty. As a ninja loyal to the village, he had to bring you back as quietly as possible, so he played the part and said the words that’ll bring you back to the village. **

You’re lying—

** He acted just like all the other teachers before. Acted like you weren’t there. How could he change so quickly? Maybe you running away made him realize his responsibility to make sure you’re loyal to the village. **

Shut up...

** Speaking of logic, how about your Kakashi? Did he really pay attention to you in the team? A few pats on the head, and you suddenly think the world of him? **

....

** He gave you away to other teachers while you crawl in progress behind the rest of the other teams just so he could focus one-on-one with the Uchiha. **

That was because he was facing Gaara. He could have died!

** Is it really hard for someone as elite as him to train two people? He did his bare minimum to train you while he was always focusing on the Uchiha. Shouldn’t you have gotten the extra training? Did the prodigy really need it? **

.......I don’t .....know......

** You do, you just don’t want to think about it.  **

Oh, yeah? You still haven’t said anything about Baa-Chan!

** There’s nothing to be said. She spat on the title of Hokage, only for her to accept the position one week later. **

She had a change of heart! She realized how important the village was. She even gave up reviving her family for it.

** You mean, she gave up making her family become a pathetic shell of themselves, barely living a life as a puppet of Orochimaru like she knew would happen if she listened to him. **

You don’t know that.

** So many things are solved with her becoming Hokage. Her lack of money to support her alcoholism, her gambling debts, a place where she wouldn’t be hunted because of said debts. **

Naruto grasped the necklace dangling against his chest in his left hand.

”This.” The green crystal glittered in the light as Naruto shouted, “Then, what do you think this is then?!”

Naruto heard a soft grumble. It reverberated in his head, and the sound bouncing off in the low tones.

It was laughing.

** I’ll show you exactly what it is. Bring out your right hand. **

****

Naruto hesitated, wondering if it was better off he stayed ignorant about what he was about to be shown. There was an urge inside of him, however, to have all the questions he had held inside answered.

Naruto brought out his right hand, quivering, in front of him.

** Don’t turn away for this part. **

He felt a little prick in his fingers like it was numb from laying on top of it.

Then, his hand turned red, the color bursting out of the skin, boiling and bubbling with hatred. Black goo spewed from red bubbles bursting, and dropped onto the pavement, eroding the concrete. 

What... what’s wrong with my hand? What did you do?

** I directed some of my chakra into your hand. Your chakra might be sealed but mine is still flowing, controlled by me. In fact, my power isn’t limited just to your right hand. **

At that moment, Naruto felt something whip his hand. He looked down and saw a bright green light.

It was some type of chakra string coming out from the crystal on his necklace. The emerald string shone as it wrapped around his pinky.

Then another string flung out.

And another.

String by string, it flew out in a circle and tied Naruto tight. From tens to hundreds to thousands, thin green strings encapsulated Naruto until he was tied up, pushed down to the ground under the weight of the strings.

Once he fell down, the pressure increased tenfold.

He felt like he was suffocating like he was about to be pushed into the ground. It got worse, increasing every second he spent, lying down helpless as he was about to die—

And suddenly he’s free.

The wires whip and fling in the air as they retract back to inside the necklace.

His body burned, and Naruto knows he’ll see long, thin marks on his back and arms. 

His right hand erupts with hot steam, and Naruto can see chakra healing the burnt pieces of skin.

** You want to know what that is? **

..................

** A crystal passed down generations to generations, going as far back as the First Hokage. The only thing able to control me as I am now. **

Naruto watched as his hand loosens his grip on the necklace inch-by-inch until it slips onto the ground, the impact making a quiet clink.

** And the only thing that can control you.  **

* * *

 

Sasuke was angry.

His body shook with rage, every cell in his body boiling with contempt.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the cause of the fever he had.

Sasuke shifted his weight to cover himself more with the blanket.

It was as if someone was hitting him over and over again with a rock. Some parts of his body he felt a stinging pain. Other parts he was itchy and dry. Everything sounded like he was swimming underwater, and he was sure his head was heavy enough to fall off his shoulders.

Judging by how the woman taking care of him looked calm, he assumed he wasn’t dying. 

The warmth he had vaguely noticed turned into a scorching heat that suffocated Sasuke.

In a fit of frustration, he ripped off the blanket and rolled out of the bed, falling onto the wooden floor.

His sides screamed in pain, but the cool wooden texture made up for it.

This was pathetic.

Brought down to this weak state because of a measly disease.

As he laid there, he picked up the sound of soft cooing and heavy patters.

That was the only warning he could get, but Sasuke didn’t have enough strength to get off the floor, let alone leave the room.

Sasuke heard the sound of a door slamming open, and immediately afterward, a body falling down.

The pattering noise got louder and the footsteps heavier until Sasuke lifted his head to meet big, brown eyes.

He watched the toddler bends down to stare at him as she drools and babbles.

After a few seconds, she screamed, giggling and jumping up and down, only to land Sasuke a stinging slap. Wiping off baby drool, he rolled over so he wouldn’t have to look at her.

How was he supposed to return back to the village if he couldn’t fight off a baby?

The runt started to climb over him, gripping his hair, and pulling hard on it. When he tries pushing her off, she spits in his face, screaming as her grip became stronger. 

Just as Sasuke started to debate with himself whether he should scream with her, he hears the door open once again, weird white shoes dragging against the floor as the person stops in front of him.

He felt arms lifting him off the floor, but as soon as he could stand, he pushes the person away. He didn’t need anyone’s help. Especially from someone who couldn’t even speak the same language as him, less understand him.

Taking in quick breaths, he crawls back into the bed, while the runt tormenting him clings off from his shirt. Sasuke wipes off undeserved sweat and baby spit off his face, frowning at the baby quieting down. She coos a bit, obviously happy for the person to lift her up into his lap.

Sasuke hates this baby. And he hates whoever it is that takes care of the baby. He hates the other kids running around. He hates this orphanage. He hates the language—English, apparently—they speak. He hates whatever sickness he has.

He hates, and hates, and hates.

But there’s something he not only hates but absolutely despises.

Something as unexpected as living in an alternate world.

He hates staying here without Naruto.

After beating Naruto down both physically and emotionally, he thought it would prove what he had known all along: Naruto was inferior to him in all levels.

After all, he needed to be strong to enact revenge. He needed to be stronger than Naruto. And the fact he was able to hurt Naruto so much that he lashed out like that proved who was weaker.

He didn’t need any bonds in his quest for revenge. Naruto distracted him and brought him down to his level. It’s why it looked like Naruto was getting stronger. The combination of bad situations and incredible luck is what gave Naruto the “upper edge” in their rivalry. He’s weak and pathetic.

But wasn’t Sasuke worse?

Didn’t he strike a low blow, going for Naruto personally as if he didn’t scold Sakura for doing the same thing all those months ago?

What was the point of that?

What was the point of any of this?

Sasuke clamps down on his neck, trying to suppress the sudden sharp aches pulsing there.

Another deep breath, and more again, until the pain diminishes to a dull discomfort and he can think clearly again.

He can’t escape from this world alone.

He had to work with Naruto, just like before in the Chunin exams, and in Wave. 

But it would be impossible without him apologizing. Sasuke couldn’t think of the last time he said sorry. He was sure he had never said it to Naruto. But this time, he had crossed a line, and he had to apologize.

As soon as he found Naruto. Or even better, got enough strength to leave the bed.

Despite these thoughts, all Sasuke can do is roll over to watch the teen feed the baby milk.

He lifted the baby in one arm, rocking her at a slow tempo. In his other hand, he directed the small bottle towards her mouth. While a few minutes ago, she was screeching and jumping around, now she was quiet, her eyelids half-closed as she dribbled on the bottle.

They both looked at peace.

It reminded Sasuke of that photo he still kept in his cabinet in the bathroom. The one he took when he was two, and his mother was guiding his fingers over one of her lilies, and she was saying that—

“ _ Hey! You Okay? _ ”

Sasuke turned his head back at the older teen, his face full of disinterest as he watched the other bounced his leg, rocking the baby in slight motions.

Maybe staring at him would make him realize that Sasuke didn’t understand him.

After a few seconds, the teenager made a sort of “O” sound, like he had forgotten something.

In a quick second, he rushed over to the bed and pointed to himself, saying “Tyrel Walden.”

Another ten seconds of him repeating that occurred before he pointed at the baby, saying “Kiku Walden.”

He kept up with that repetition of words. Tyrel. Teen. Kiku. Baby. Tyrel. Teen. Kiki. Baby.

It reached a point that Sasuke had to stop him.

He wasn’t stupid. It was obvious that he was repeating his name and the baby name And they sounded related to.

Sasuke didn’t know the universal sign for ‘Stop’, so he drew his finger against his neck, assured that it will get the point across.

The youth stopped his gibberish, surprised that a kid would use such an obscene sign. 

“ _ This ain’t gonna work out. Wait here. _ ”

He rushed out of the room with his sister hanging on to his arms, only to come back a second later with a yellow and black book.

” _ Okay... umm _ ...baby.” He pointed at Kiku.

There was a pause as if he expected Sasuke to respond. After a few seconds of seeing Sasuke stare apathetically, he shrugged and continued reading.

” _ This book’s fuckin’ complicated. Where’s the word for ‘babysit’? _  ... ‘baby’ ... ‘baby’ ...uhhh... care?”

He snapped his fingers and dropped the baby on Sasuke’s lap.

”Baby Care.”

Sasuke is A highly-trained shinobi. Even if he wasn’t sick enough to take care of her, he’s too qualified for a job to babysit.

”No.” Sasuke said with a sharp tone, hoping the intonation will translate for him.

But Tyrel flipped the book open, searching through pages while muttering ‘no’ to himself.

Pissed off, Sasuke reaches over and snatched the book from Tyrel’s hands, looking at the book cover.

Learning Japanese for Dummies.

Sasuke browsed through the book until he found the word, then, he enunciated the word.

” _ No _ .”

Tyrel leaned forward, smiling wide as he said “ _ Yes _ .”

” _ No _ .”

” _ Yes _ .”

” _ No _ .”

” _ Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes _ .” With each ‘yes’, he dropped diapers, and powders, and wipes until his lap was filled with baby supplies.

” _ You’re the best, kid. I just need to run some shit. Don’t kill my sis.” _  He ran off and closed the door, forgetting Sasuke couldn’t understand English.

As soon as her brother(???) left, Kiku grabbed his hair and started chewing on it.

Sasuke sighed, picking up the book and flipping through it, ignoring the parasite trying to eat his hair.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 

Naruto bent down, stretching to touch his toes. After a few seconds, he relaxed and went into another pose, stretching one arm with his other.

It took him a while, but he had finally found a path that didn’t involve him pushing through people.

Naruto had learned a lot of stuff from living in New York City, but there were a few important stuff.

One, apparently this place version of the academy was called “School” and he was not supposed to be skipping it. Not that he cared because he’ll be leaving soon but it means that he had to avoid the police (also there’s police.) during school hours.

Two, his “caretaker” did not like him. Nothing new, but it meant he had to get out of his way. Since he was always there, he didn’t even bother going to the house unless he needed to sleep.

Three, his memory was messing up. He wasn’t saying that he forgot he was a ninja, but there were sometimes that he had trouble remembering his mission. He had even forgotten on more than one occasion how he ended up in New York. Luckily (or not), he had a big chakra fox in his stomach that was more than happy to remind him what he was supposed to be doing.

Speaking of the Fox...

Naruto scrunched his nose, the stench of body odor hitting him like a train. He grabbed his jacket and lifted it up to his nose, taking in the smell of dirt instead.

This happens daily. Whether the smell is miles away, it’s still strong to him. In fact, it’s all his senses that are affected. His vision is clearer, colors are sharper, sounds are louder; he feels completely different than he was two months ago.

The Kyuubi told him it was because he was using more of its chakra, and they were starting to merge. Something about how the seal integrates their chakra systems. It didn’t matter if he doesn’t use it. 

Granny Tsunade’s necklace still hung around his neck. 

He had to focus on getting back home. This past week, he kept forgetting meeting the Sage in his mindscape. The Fox has said that the seal was taking all the memories he had of being a ninja so he wouldn’t try to leave this world, but Naruto couldn’t believe it. 

Naruto was a ninja. It was his livelihood. It ran in his blood.

Naruto stood at the rooftop and looked down. He must have been like a hundred miles up. Everyone on the sidewalk looked tiny, like tiny dots.

How could he be like them? He couldn’t be like them.

If he wasn’t a ninja, he would be alone. No senseis, no teammates, no one. Not a single precious person to care for, and for them to care for him. 

It would be hell all over again.

Naruto took a few steps back, before running off towards the edge of the rooftop.

Right as he reached the edge, he leaped off, falling through the air, until he landed on the next building on all fours.

Without losing momentum, Naruto pushed himself off and ran off toward the next building. 

His palms stung with scratches from concrete, only for steam to rise from the injuries a few seconds later, callouses forming instead.

The next leap he took, the building was higher than the former. He readied himself for the sharp pain and collided against the building wall. 

The force slammed through his body but he grunted and grabbed the bricks protruding from the building, his finger almost slipping from the grip.

With a small huff, he hauled himself up and jumped up to land on the building.

As Naruto kept running, he noticed the next building was lower. 

Not able to hide his excitement, he whooped and cheered, picking up speed as his strides got larger. He leapt off, his smile reaching from cheek to cheek. 

As he fell, the air swept through his hair and bit against his face. He waved his arms through the wind, adrenaline powering his excitement. 

It was like everything inside of him was leaving his body. 

When he was in the air like this, he didn’t have a single problem. He was part of the sky, there were no limits.

Nothing could touch him up here.

Then he reached the ground, his feet cracking the brick.

”Damn it.” Naruto lifted his shoes up, and just as he thought, the soles were tearing at the seams.

He really missed his sandals.

Naruto jumped off the roof and bounced off the steel fence to land on the pavement. 

As he walked out of the alley, he stepped right into a crowd. 

He bent his head down, blending in with the New Yorkers. He bumped into shoulders, hips, and waists, each person cussing him out more than the former. He meandered until he reached a general store. He walked in, shielding the wallets he pickpocketed from view.

After all, he was good at stealth because he wore bright orange, not the other way around.

As he trudged through the store, looking for orange shoes, he kept thinking back to when he was younger.

He couldn’t do this in Konoha, a ninja village. He had to dig through garbage cans, and dumpsters to find clothes he can wear. It’s not like he didn’t get money for Jiji but he always went over the budget, so when a shirt or pant got ripped, he didn’t have anything to replace it. 

His orange jacket was a sorta gift. Not really a gift as it was thrown at him after he got kicked out of a store, but still something he got from someone. He was going to throw it away but orange was his favorite color, and he loved it as soon as he wore it. Of course, wearing orange and doing pranks weren’t a good combination, so he liked tying it around his waist sometimes. But no one ever saw him without his jacket.

Another reason why he had to go back to Konoha. His orange jacket is almost completely destroyed.

He brought some blue sneakers (there were no orange ones) and slammed them down to the counter.

The cashier eyed him up and down, before returning his attention back to his cash register.

That’s another thing. The people here. They didn’t shout at him or give him looks. But they didn’t care about him either. He was ignored just as much but they weren’t doing it actively. They just didn’t care. 

Somehow, it still hurt.

Also, everything was weaker here. Naruto had discovered it when he threw a fist at a wall in anger, and the wall had collapsed.

Sure, he still trained as hard as he did in Konoha, and he did get a little boost from the Nine-Tails, but now, he had to watch how much force he put on stuff.

The Kyuubi had grunted and ignored him when he complained about it.

** No, I said it was because the mortals here are weaker and everything they make is inferior. **

Yeah, Naruto liked his idea better.

** That isn’t to say you didn’t get a boost from my chakra.  **

Shut up, I’m doing something here.

** You’re putting your shoes on, kit. **

Naruto tied his laces up in a big bow. He couldn’t help but appreciate his work.

Hey, I think these shoes are the best ones yet! I like them almost as much as the orange sandals I had.

Naruto looked down one more time to view his shoes. They were light blue with white accents, the lighter color appearing as swirls. 

They even had a little glitter on them.

**.............................................. **

What? I can’t see it, but I can tell you’re making a face. 

** No, your shoes are fine. **

Then what’s your problem?

**........You need to focus on returning back to the village. **

I know, dattebayo! But I thought you said I should give up.

** I did .... but you’re right about being a ninja. If you stay here for too long, I don’t know what you’ll be. **

Go take a nap, you big fox. You don’t have to worry about me! I’ll be fine here with my new shoes!

The Kyuubi grumbled a little about not paying attention and something about this being the start, but Naruto could feel its presence leave his mind.

With a clearer head, Naruto jumped to his feet, his eyes peering around the city, looking for a person of interest when something bumped into him.

_ ”Hey, watch it!”  _ The person turned out to be a boy in a leather jacket.

”What?” Naruto asked, still not knowing English.

” _ I said _ , watch it.” He got in Naruto’s face, his finger jabbing into Naruto’s chest.

”You speak Japanese?” Naruto ignored the unspoken threat to look at something positive.

”Yeah, what about it?” The boy’s voice turned skeptical.

”Can you teach me English? It’s annoying not to know what people are saying, ya’know?”

”Get lost.” The boy ran off, the shiny buttons on his jacket reflecting light.

Naruto liked his jacket.

But that wasn’t what he should be focusing on. He took off, catching up to the boy in no time.

”Come on, I really need help, ya’ know.” Naruto whined as he jumped to block the boy’s path.

The boy paced up and down, looking for space to run past him.“I can’t be helping every single idiot asking for a translation. That’s what they have schools for.”

Naruto kicked at the ground with his foot.

”I’m no good at school stuff.”

The boy stopped his pacing and looked around, before letting out a long sigh.

”Neither am I. The name’s Zip.”

”Heh, you’re looking at the world’s greatest ninja, Naruto Uzumaki!”

”Yeah, right. Follow me and we’ll talk.”

Zip rushed off, not waiting to see if Naruto was following.

It was easy enough to follow him, Naruto’s eyes zoned in on Zip’s jacket, and he never lost sight of him.

They ran for a few blocks before Zip stopped in front of an old building.

“You an orphan, aren’t you? It’s easy to tell.” Zip said as he picked the door lock.

Ignoring the question, Naruto asked, “Where are we?”

Zip shot Naruto a cocky smile, pushing the door and walking in.

When Naruto followed, he was surprised to see that the inside of the building didn’t look like the outside.

The place looked clean enough, the floors were free of dirt except in a few corners, while the walls were all concrete, they looked taken care of.

There was a long, dirty couch at the center, with different rugs scattered around. A torn mattress and brown blankets laid near a corner, while a tower of snacks laid in another.

”Welcome to my humble abode. I’ll show you around but this is all there is to see.” Zip gestured to all the empty space.

He jumped on the couch, bouncing a bit before he settled down.

”Listen, I think we can both benefit from each other. I have seen you before when you do that parkour over on the rooftops. There's something I have been planning to do, but I don't have enough cash flow for it. You don't look like you need money. How about you’ll work for me-With me taking 80% of the profits, of course- and I’ll help you out with your English?”

Naruto didn’t like the idea of working. Especially for someone that looked the same age as him.

”What do you mean by 'work'?”

”Don’t freak out, but basically, I have a job as a runner. I run stuff for them, and they give me money and food.”

”Why would I freak out, and who’s ‘them’?”

”Because the people I run stuff for are the Dominicans. You know, ‘them’.”

”Ok.”

Naruto didn’t know enough about gangs to care about what it truly meant.

“Oh, well. It’ll be a lot faster to run stuff if I had you helping me. You’ll have to hide though, I don’t want anyone seeing you.”

Naruto thought it through. All he had to do was carry stuff. It was basically a D-rank mission. Plus, maybe he wouldn’t have to steal so much. It sounded like a good deal.

Naruto heard a snort, but it went away as fast as it came.

”Dattebayo, it’s a deal!”

Naruto shook hands with Zip, both smiling as they saw their luck rising.

”This is a deal of a lifetime, Fishhead!”

”Fishhead??”

”Yeah, ‘cause your name means fishcake, so I just thought it fits.”

”It doesn't come up with a better name!”

”Nah, I think I’m good.”

Naruto pouted but he actually felt better than he had these past months. Things were finally going his way.

* * *

 

 

" _ I'm back! Y'all have dinner yet? _ "

Tyrel kicked the door open, scruffing the wooden floors with his dirty shoes.

" _ What do you think you're doing? _ " Sister Mae stomped towards him, her hand gripping a wooden spoon.

Tyrel shoots her a nervous smile, avoiding her eyes. " _ Um, comin' in? _ "

The nun lifted her nose at him. " _ 1st Corinthians, Chapter 5, verse 11 _ ." She began.

" _ Aw, come on-- _ ", Tyrel interrupted but the nun continued on as if she didn't hear him.

" _ But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. _ " 

" _ I ain't any of that shit- _ "

" _ Language _ !"

Tyrel lowered his head away from her.

" _ My bad, sister _ ."

Sister Mae looked at him with disappointment, shaking her head.

" _ You know how I feel about the ... activities... you do. The Lord has granted you so much potential, and I hate seeing you waste it. Rise above the devil's temptations, and become the Christian I know you can be. _ " She said, her hand finding its way to his shoulder.

" _ Whatever...Where's Kiku? _ " Tyrel shrugged her hand off and walked past her.

" _ Take a good guess. Dinner's in the pot. _ " The nun said before walking off to her room.

Tyrel let out a little laugh, once he thought about it. He walked out of the apartment and went to the side of the building. He shook the rusty, folded ladder attached to the wall until it fully collapsed to its original length. He climbed the ladder, mindful to avoid any scratches.

When he reached the rooftop, he was huffing, and his muscles ached with exhaustion. He fell to his knees, breathing hard.

"Hn."

" _ Ahh... Sasuke...You have.. ugh...You have my sis? _ " Tyrel asked.

The rooftop used to be just that, a rooftop. A slab of space with one or two antennas attached. Now, it was mostly green. There were planter boxes everywhere, filled with flowers. Some were blue, and some had barely sprouted leaves yet. Either way, the roof had become a makeshift garden, and in the middle of all the flora was a red blanket.

Tyrel approached the blanket with slow steps. " _ Hey, you sleepin', sis? _ " He snatched the blanket off, only to see concrete.

His head turned fast to look at the younger boy, only to see dark brown skin, and black coils of hair poking out from Sasuke’s sleeves.

Sasuke was holding onto her with one arm while he read a book in another.

Tyrel approached him with his arms out. “ _ Here, lemme have her. _ ”

Sasuke almost threw the baby at him, with Kiku giggling from excitement.

” _ Not too hard, man! Don’t front, I know you like her. _ ” He reached out to ruffle his hair only for Sasuke to slap his hand back, not bothering to turn around.

Used to this type of behavior, Tyrel bounced his sister up and down, watching as she shrieked.

” _ Who’s the cutest little girl in the city? You are! Aren’t you lucky to have a brother like me? _ ” He shook her around, smiling at the babbling sounds Kiku made.

Tyrel sat down, and let out a loud sigh. 

“ _ Do you even know her? Remember her? You remember your mama, Kiku? _ ”

Sasuke tightened the grip on his book harder.

” _ She’s working hard, to get us back. I even saw her today. She’s clean. She’s really clean. She just needs a lil’ more time and money _ .”

” _ That’s why I’m always out, you see? I have to help her out. Sister Mae always goin’ on about focusing on school and shit—ahh, pretend I didn’t say that. _ ” 

Tyrel held the baby and watched the sky. The colors shifted from warm reds and hot pinks to a cool, dark blue.

” _ Sister Mae ain’t know sh—nothing. I ain’t doin’ anything illegal. Just got a lot of jobs. Mama says I need school but she needs me. Once we’re all back together, I’ll go back to school.” _

Tyrel looked back at Sasuke and the books he was reading.

A Japanese-English dictionary, and a textbook bigger than the boy’s ego titled “The Multidimensional Theory”.

” _ What the hell is that? Man, school’s gettin’ tougher than I thought. _ ” He remarked, only recognizing a handful of words from the one that filled the pages out.

”Not school.” Sasuke said, his eyes glued to the page.

”Not school?  _ Then what? _ ”

”Konoha.” Sasuke’s voice was filled with determination.

” _ Konoha. That’s your crib? Wait, hold up. How you know I was talkin’ about school? You understand English now? _ ”

Sasuke didn’t bother replying, his concentration focused on the book.

” _ Guess that’s a no. You’re really something you know. Sister Mae got you in all these classes. Piano, coding, she even put you in archery. Archery! Not to mention that sword lessons you do? What you call it? Kanna... Kantan... Ka _ —“

” _ Katana _ .” Sasuke interrupted.

” _ Yea, that’s it. _ ” Tyrel paused, looking around to see if he’s being watched. By now, Kiku had fallen asleep, not a sound being uttered. The sky had turned fully dark, and for a single second, the city was silent from noise.

Then a car honk pierced through the quiet, the city overtaking the night.

” _ Listen, man. It ain’t my place but I don’t trust that guy. You know, the one that helped pay for all your shit? That rich, white man? Mr. Ibehekans? You gotta watch your back around him. _ ” He said.

Sasuke still continued to read, flipping the page as if nothing serious was being discussed.

” _ He might be in charge of a lot of the foster homes, but I know you know what I mean. His vibes off. Sometimes, I’ll see him at your piano lessons. Fuck, man. That look in his eyes? Creepy ass shit _ .”

Tyrel looked back at Sasuke.

” _ He ain’t doin’ nothin’ to you, right? He always got you alone and shit, and ... I ain’t a snitch but for him? I just might be one. _ ”

He put his hand on Sasuke’s shoulder. 

“ _ Just be careful, man _ .”

Sasuke looked back at him, his face full of disinterest, and Tyrel knew that instant that Sasuke didn’t understand a word he said. 

Not even the great prodigy like him could learn the English language in two months.

Tyrel stood up, trying to adjust his hold on Kiku.

” _ Sister Mae said that dinner’s ready, you coming? _ ”

Sasuke snapped his book shut, and stood up, walking up to Tyrel with his arms outstretched.

” _ What? I thought you didn’t want to carry her? _ ” Tyrel held Kiku and gave her to Sasuke.

Sasuke shifted the baby into a bridal pose, making sure she was comfortable.

” _ Hey, man. Practice your English more. There’s too much shit goin’ on for you to be clueless. _ ” Tyrel advised.

Sasuke looked back at Tyrel and did his usual ‘tch’ sound.

Then he walked straight off the rooftop.

Tyrel ran back to where Sasuke fell just in time to see him bounce off a balcony, a wall, and a dumpster, before landing softly and walking back inside the apartment.

Tyrel looked back at the rusty ladder, and sighed, making a mental note to ask Sasuke where he learned that gymnastics shit from.

* * *

 

* * *

 

It shouldn’t have been a problem. It was something simple. 

Then again, Sakura always said he was stupid about this type of stuff.

Naruto heard pounding on the door.

”Dude, come on! You’ve been in there for 2 hours! How did you drag the whole cart into the dressing room anyway?”

Naruto looked around, scratching his head. Various clothing items covered the floor. About half of them were neon orange. 

“You know what? Make sure you got some clothes on, I’m coming in.”

The door burst open, and Zip stomped in, and then slipped on an orange, plastic belt immediately afterward.

”Fuck, we already have one hell down there, why you making another one up here? I thought you just wanted to replace your jacket.” Zip struggled to find footing, pushing away clothes to find somewhere to step on.

”Yea, but then I saw some clothes I liked. I don’t usually shop for clothes, ya’ know? I thought it’ll be boring, but it was fun until I tried stuff on. I shoulda went with Sakura on her shopping trips more.” Naruto threw down another jacket, a second away from throwing a fit.

Zip stood up, shaking a bit as if he couldn’t believe he had actually cleared out some space from the clothes scattered around.

”Who’s Sakura—Whoa!” Zip’s eyes bulged out.

”What? What’s going on!?”

”Oh, nothing, I just thought I saw a fly on the mirror or something.” Zip turned his head away from Naruto, making sure to hide the blush on his cheeks.

”Huh?”

Naruto turned around to see it, but the fact that he hadn’t looked at a mirror in a long time, even counting the time in the village struck him out of nowhere.

Not seeing any insect, he threw off the long robe hiding the mirror and took a good look at it.

His hair had grown longer, the bangs now able to cover his face, and his hair touched his shoulders. It was spiky though, so it flew it in all directions.

His mesh net tank top was also destroyed (Never facing off with a Chidori again). Because of that, he was trying out a dark blue shirt to replace it. 

Being poor and malnourished only made him skinnier, so the jeans he had tried on (guess what color) were held on tight with a belt that had to be double looped.

Surprising everyone, the blue sneakers he bought those days were still wearable, so it had become his go-to favorite.

He kept looking at the mirror, but the image there made him feel more uncomfortable, something wrong he couldn't point out.

No, it was because he didn't have his jacket anymore. He loved that jacket. It was orange and perfect, and now it was like none of the clothes looked good on him. He hated everything he was wearing. He went through the boy's clothes and grabbed stuff he liked but thrown together, he didn't like it. There was something about his jacket and track pants, that made him feel something. They were great and amazing. They weren't too weird like the clothes in this city are but they weren't so girly either. At least he grew out his hair, now he couldn't see his forehead that was obviously missing the Konoha headband that the stupid police said he couldn't wear, as if that could ever-

"Let's focus on the jacket now, and do the wardrobe change later." Zip took the robe and threw it back onto the mirror.

But it didn't change what Naruto saw.

Upset with this discovery, he sat down on the pile of clothes on the floor and pouted.

"We don't have time for a sulk session, come on! We need to get a move on." Zip flitted around Naruto, trying to urge him into action. 

When he saw Naruto continuing to sulk, he sighed and sat down next to him.

"It's weird. I don't even think that's me I'm seeing. I never looked so stupid as I do now. I hate this city. I want to go back home with all my ninja clothes." Naruto said, his face wrinkling up with each complaint he made.

"You could do plastic surgery. Get a lot of money and you won't look like that anymore. Or you won't even care, because you'll be rich. Rich people don't care about anything." Zip said, looking down on his (stolen) phone, bored.

Naruto side-eyed Zip. "Is that why you want money so much? So, you can change how you look?"

"Maybe. Or maybe I want a Gucci leather jacket lined with gold and diamond."

"Why would you want that? All those rocks will slow you down."

"Naw, something like jewelry won't slow me down. I bet I'm the fastest kid alive." Zip bragged, his face lighting up.

"No way! I know someone that's waaaayyyyyy faster than you. He does like a million push-ups every day, and wear these green leotards-"

"Green?? Ew! He just wears that every day?"

"Yeah, and they're so cool!"

"No, they aren't."

"Yes, they are too!"

"No, that's disgusting."

"You're wrong! Hey, you never told me why you wanted money so much anyway?" Naruto asked, bouncing from one topic, to another.

Zip looked back at Naruto before he stood up, picking a shirt up from off the floor.

"I used to come from a big family. Big with lots of people, and big with lots of fame and fortune. With all that riches and stuff, there were a lot of things I was expected to be. I didn't live up to those expectations, so they told me to leave. I guess they thought that if I spent a few days on the streets, I'll come crawling back, desperate to be anything they wanted me to be. That was a few years ago." Zip looked back at the shirt with disgust, throwing it back down on the floor.

Naruto stayed silent, but his face turned dark with anger as he played with his necklace before gripping it hard.

"Hey, don't give me that look. They threw all my fucking stuff outside. I couldn't do what they asked of me."

"I would do anything to be with my family." Naruto retorted, bitterness seeping into his voice.

"Oh yeah? What if your family hated you because you had blue eyes? Or because you, lemme think, you had freckles? Would you pluck out your eyes because they told you to? Would you pour bleach all over your skin and burn yourself just so they could be pleased? They hated me for who I fucking am, and they wanted me to fucking hate myself too, and become someone else. Maybe they're fine with that bullshit but I wouldn't be. I can't change what I am, and if they hate me for that, then that's too fucking bad." He shifted the collar of his jacket, looking towards the mirror.

** Doesn't that sound familiar? **

Shut up.

Naruto lowered his head down. "I understand how you feel."

Zip threw a sharp look at Naruto. "You don't understand shit."

Naruto glared back. "Yes, I do!" Then, his eyes softened as his mind flipped through memories of the Hidden Leaf.

"There's like thousands of people that live in my village. Almost all of them hated me. They kicked me out of stores, they threw trash at me, they badmouthed me every time they saw me. I didn't have anyone that cared about me, and the Hokage was always so busy running the village to really look after me. They even had a name for me, 'the demon brat'. I never knew why. Then, someone told me why, and it doesn't matter because I couldn't change it. It was a part of me, after all." Naruto explained.

"They're all dicks!' Zip snorted.

"No, they're not! They're great people. Everyone looks after each other and works hard to make the village the best in the world. In here, people don't care about you, but at the same time, they don't care for you. I have a lot of people that hate me, but I have a lot of others that care about me too. I had to work hard, and show I wasn't what they thought I was. But I care for the village, and I would do anything to protect it." Naruto yelled, waving his hands around as his voice rose.

"That's the fucking problem. Why did you have to earn it?'

"Huh?"

"Look around at all the families you see. Your whole village loves each other but doesn't give a fuck about you. I bet the people that care about you didn't have to do anything for their family to love them." 

"Yea...I guess." Naruto thought about it.

"Shouldn't love be something you're given from your family? Why do we have to earn it? Why are we the exceptions to the rule?" Zip asked.

"I ... I don't know. That's just how it is."

"Yeah, it is. It's like that here too with all these gangs. You have to prove yourself before you get any respect. That's why I'm getting enough money to get the fuck outta here. I have an uncle that lives down south, who actually cares about me, but he's poor as shit. I'm gonna make bank and get enough money to leave this city and help him out." Zip said.

But then, he looked back at the clock in the room. "Shit! I talked too much. Get what you want, and let's skedaddle. I don't want to end up missing the match."

Naruto looked back at the orange jacket he had thrown aside and tied the sleeves around his waist.

It made things a little bit better.

”Don't forget the other shit too. What we'll be doing will be way better than shopping." Zip rushed out of the room, but not before picking a black leather jacket Naruto had discarded earlier.

Naruto looked around and left the dressing room, but not before picking up a black ski mask, an orange scarf, and a white jacket with orange accents.

He walked out with all slumped, feeling a bit out of sorts when he felt a feeling in his head akin to someone poking him.

You don’t even talk to me that much, how come you decided to come out today?

** If someone ignored you all the time like the idiot they were, you wouldn’t talk, would you? **

Aw, I always knew you liked me!

** Hmph! I don’t care about you. It’s just disrespectful for someone as low as you to ignore me. **

Naruto pushed his cart up to the register, breaking into an unrepentant smile when Zip looked at the cart full of clothes. His smile only grew wider when Zip gave him a horrible scowl.

Okay, I believe you, furball. But you didn’t answer my question.

** I’m starting to regret this conversation. **

What? You only said a few words! Is the big, bad fox too scared to speak his mind?

The Nine-Tails didn’t rise up to the bait. Instead, the store seemed colder and Naruto realized the conversation had just turned serious.

** You're being distracted. Focusing on petty human matters instead of going back to our dimension. **

I'm not! Don't start getting all huffy because I took a quick break?

** Was it a break yesterday when you spent the whole day running? Or last month, when you tried deciphering this world's language? **

How am I supposed to get out if I don't know what most of these people are saying? I'm surviving, and using stealth, as Kaka-sensei would say. Don't be a jealous fuzzball.

That last response quieted him, so Naruto returned back to waiting in line. However, the fox's presence appeared once again feeling more muted.

** You're different than the others. **

What?

** Don't you know that this isn’t the first time I have been sealed inside a human? **

Hmmm.

** There were two others before you. Imagine that, two human lifetimes of being enslaved, never able to feel the warm sun against my fun. I haven’t had freedom in such a long time. **

.......................................................

** I hated them. Despised them with everything I had in me. They were my jailers, and I, their prisoner. Being sealed only brought me misery, and I associated humans with that very pain and torture. **

Oh...............................................

** But you, what do you think I am? **

What do I think you are? Um, well before I thought, you were, like, this evil demon that wanted to destroy everything. But ever since you started talking to me, I don’t know. You don’t really seem that evil to me. Sometimes you get a little weird like that time you tried to convince me to steal that steak. Or when you had me burrowing holes? Or that time you were telling me everything good that would happen if I started screaming right at that moment?

** That’s just what foxes do. **

Yea! Exactly, I think you’re this big fox and all you want to do is fox stuff. You have all this chakra and you can get homicidal but you didn’t really ask for that did you?

** No...I was created by the Sage of Six Paths. **

That old geezer! Hey, how come he didn’t just unseal you? Since he created you, aren’t you his son kinda?

** I don’t know.  **

That bastard! If I had a son, I would never abandon him. I wouldn’t let you get all sealed up. I’ll use my awesome chakra powers and rescue you.

The Nine-Tails let out a huge laugh. It reverberated throughout Naruto’s head like an opera singer at a theater. He even looked around a bit, worried that the fox’s laugh had leaked out of his mind a bit.

But everywhere around him, none of the customers looked at him. Even Zip was occupied, his face squeezed tight like he ate a lemon. 

Guess he wasn’t really the patient type.

Then, Naruto found himself back in the sewers. The place hadn't improved in looks. The pipes had twisted even more, with black mold attaching against the metal.

Naruto walked straight, following the sound of hearty laughter. 

The light had become darker, and the pipes were starting to erode, and rust.

But Naruto kept running until he reached the clearing to see the gigantic red cage shut together with a seal.

The Kyuubi was behind that big cage, laughing as if he had heard the funniest joke in his life.

”You’re going to regret laughing that much. I didn’t say anything funny.”

The Kyuubi has begun to cough, the laughs becoming more sparse.

** ”How do you expect me not to laugh. Implying that you care about me?”  **

With that, the Kyuubi starting laughing again, the sound shaking the water underneath Naruto’s feet.

The Kyuubi gripped one of the cage bars for support, his fangs gleaming as he got louder.

Naruto was standing in front of the revered and feared Kyuubi, as it laughed at his face.

Naruto was shaking with rage.

He stomped towards the fox, his steps making the water splash.

By now, the fox’s laughs had begun to die down. Tears were flowing down his eyes.

** “I’m the Nine-Tails Demon, brat. No one cares about me.” **

”YOU’RE WRONG!”

Naruto thought about it, and it happened. The seal slid down until it was level with Naruto’s face.

And in a single stride, Naruto ripped it off.

Something blue fizzed and popped before fading away.

The Fox has stopped laughing completely, his eyes wide as he stared at Naruto.

It started slowly, the bars creaking and cracking. Then, one bar broke off from the cage and descended into the water. The bars kept falling down, with each impact, the water growing hotter and wilder. 

When the last bar fell, and the entire cage collapsed, the old fox dashed up to Naruto and grabbed him.

He rose the boy up until he was at eye level with him. Then he stared hard, Those dangerous red eyes gazing hard at his former warden.

” ** Do you know what you have just done? Do you realize I can destroy you right this second? ** ” The Fox said.

”I unsealed you. I realized how to do it when you started muttering all about being unsealed awhile back. And I don’t care if you can eat me. You’re one of my precious people, and I won’t let you suffer anymore.” Naruto declared, never flinching from him.

The Kyuubi looked at him, before letting him down, and scoffing.

” ** I don’t have a taste for brats. Besides, the Sage’s seal will still keep me in here. ** ”

”What?? Dattebayo....”

“ ** You can’t possibly believe that this would free me, right? You were willing to let me out in the middle of the bus? ** ”

”Hehehe..... wait, you said bus?”

The fox kicked one of the bars with his rear legs. 

“ ** Time passes in here. While you were talking to me, your friend had bought your clothes and taken you to wherever you were planning to go. ** ”

Naruto felt his the ends of his hair go up. “I’m in Chinatown!??!!”

Oh, I need to leave!

And Naruto opened his eyes. They were something black biting at the corner of his eyes, and when Naruto scratched it, he realized it was the ski mask.

Naruto looked around to see it was now dark, with brights lights shining around, and people cheering. Plus, he was wearing gloves, and the black ski mask, and jacket he bought.

"What the fuck happened? You were all motionless, and your eyes were glazed over like you're were on some fucking trip? Did you take any shit while you were trying stuff out? You know what, I don't want to know. You didn't even try this ski mask on when you bought it, didn't you? It's too small! I pulled it down to your nose, but as long as you can see, I don't care. Also, I helped you wear your scarf and jacket, you're welcome." Zip shook him around a bit.

"I'm getting dizzy, dattebayo..."

”Oh, sorry." Zip stopped his shaking, but he was still vibrating a little bit. "While your brain went AWOL, I bought all the shit you got and our bus tickets. If you don’t win now, our expenses will be sky high.” Zip pushed against Naruto, moving him towards the stage.

Zip pushed Naruto straight into the caged arena, with Naruto having to stumble into a stop before he ran into the announcer. 

_ “I don’t know, you’re looking a little too young. No one wants to see a kid get beat up.” _  The announcer said, looking over Naruto.

_ ”You kidding me? Call them One Shot because that’s all it’ll take them to win.” _  Zip leaned against the cage, gripping the metal and shaking it as he yelled.

Naruto shuffled his feet and looked down in embarrassment. Even with Zip’s lessons, he still didn't know as much as he should to understand English.

_ “Fine by me. I think the crowd needs a warm-up match. Anyone out there wanting a restroom break? _ ” The announcer gestured to the crowd, as the people laughed and jeered.

They all quieted when one man walked onto the stage, his face set in a perpetual frown.

” _ Hey, now. Don’t you think this isn’t enough for you, Goliath? _ ” The announcer pulled at his collar as he looked back at the towering man.

Goliath only grunted in response.

Running off the stage, the announcer tied the chains up, and pulled out his phone, ready to call the police if necessary.

_ ”Alright then, You guys know the rules. restrain from murder, let the match begin.” _

With that, Goliath shifted into a pacing pose. A dark smile rose to his lips.

_ ”I don’t like kids like you.” _  He spat out, rearing his fist for a punch.

Hey, furball. What do you think these people are saying?

** Kurama. **

What??

** My name is Kurama, just thought you should know ** .

Okay, Kurama! If we keep going on like this, maybe you'll even be my sidekick.

** Pay attention to the fight. **

Naruto bent backward to dodge the punch thrown at him.

Angry that the match wasn’t over yet, Goliath threw another punch at him.

Naruto turned his body to the left to dodge the fist, then grabbed Goliath’s arm. 

In one move, he swung the man over his shoulder and slammed him to the ground.

The giant starting twitching for a few seconds then stopped moving.

The audience stared in shock. No one has ever beaten Goliath, much less a little kid. When Naruto started to wave, everyone erupted in cheers.

Naruto hadn’t heard that much applause since he beat Neji during the Chunin exams. 

Swept in the excitement, Naruto ran around the stage, hollering and whooping.

Zip took Naruto sleeve and pulled him out of the arena.

”You have no idea the amount of money we just won. I assure you, you definitely made up for that little shopping trip today.” Zip shuffled through the dollar bills, his face lighting up.

”Lemme back in there, I wanna do another fight, dattebayo.”

”Nah, we can do that tomorrow. Remember when I told you we have big plans.”

Naruto scratched his head, trying to recall Zip’s previous words.

”Whatever, come here.” Zip pulled him away from the crowd as he rolled his eyes.

”You and I, we’ve become invincible. Keep going on like this, and we’ll be rolling in dough. You’re fast as shit, strong as shit, and durable as shit. With you around, I have been making twice the money from running. How’ll you like to quadruple it?”

”What do you mean?”

”Right now, we’re only working with one gang, but can you imagine the cash flow coming in if we ran for another gang?”

”That’s a lotta money, right?”

”Yeah, fishhead. You could buy a whole fucking store.”

”How is this a question? Let’s do this!”

Naruto and Zip high-fived but somewhere else, a certain fox could feel the air changing.

* * *

 

Tyrel kicked the door open, shocking sister Mae so much she dropped her rosary.

_ ”Tyrel! You should knock before entering someone’s room!” _  The nun screamed but Tyrel pushed past her, making a beeline straight to her closet.

Sister Mae followed him to the closet and stepped back when the teen came out with her communion wine.

_ ”We’re going to have a long talk if you think you can burst into my bedroom to steal alcohol. What’s going on? I have never seen this side of you.” _  The nun grabbed the bottle, trying to snatch it from his hand, but Tyrel’s grip was too strong.

_ ”Sorry, Sister, but I ain’t even started yet.” _  He shook her hand off and ran out of the room.

Sister Mae, scared and confused, made a hasty gesture of the cross on her chest before shuffling off, hot on Tyrel’s heels.

_ ”Tyrel, whatever’s on your mind, I promise that the word of the Lord can heal—OH MY GOD! _ ” The nun watched as Tyrel winded his arm back and swung the bottle right at the head of the biggest patron for New York City’s foster homes, Mr. Ibehekans.

Glass and blood flew out from the impact, the couch stained from split wine.

Yet, the man merely bent his head down, not a sound uttered as shards of glass pricked his billion-dollar suit.

Tyrel and Sister Mae gaped as he took out a handkerchief from the pocket of his suit, wiping the back of his head.

_ “It seems like you might have a problem with me.” _  The man bunches up the cloth, clumps of blood and hair hiding in the fabric.

_ ”I’m so, so sorry! I’ll bring you some towels, and I have some rubbing alcohol for the wound. Oh God .... you know what, I have a first aid kit somewhere, everything will be fine. Yes, it will be... _ ” The nun ran into the kitchen, her hands flying as she ravaged all the cupboards for some bandages.

When she came out with a knife and a towel, she noticed Tyrel hauling the booster seat outside. She followed Tyrel out of the door to see him putting it in her car. When he tried to turn around, she blocked his way.

_ ”Move out of the way, Sis. This ain’t about you.” _  He said.

” _ And that’s why you’re driving off in my car? What, you think you can run away from your actions? What made you even think this was okay? You just attacked one of the most famous billionaires in the world—“ _

_ ”All the money in the world can’t change that he’s a piece of shit—“ _  Tyrel interrupted.

_ ”And now you’re taking your sister and leaving at the dead of night? Maybe the social workers were right about you. Maybe the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.” _  Sister Mae continued.

_ ”You think you can talk shit ‘bout my mama just ‘cause you been lettin’ us live here? Fuck that!” _  Tyrel yelled, slamming the car door hard.

He faced the nun with anger in his eyes, and when he took a step closer to her, she pulled out the knife out and pointed it at him.

_ “Calm down, Tyrel.” _  She said, her grip on the knife shaking.

Tyrel looked at her, his face full of disbelief before his eyes hardened. He let loose the anger burning through him. It coursed through his veins before it turned cold and frigid. 

_ “I am calm. You’re the one shaking.” _  He walked past her, but not before shoulder checking her. 

She fell down to the ground, and the knife was thrown out of her hands.

The knife fell down to concrete, bouncing once before falling flat on the pavement. She gazed at the sharp metal, to see the Tyrel’s back reflected in it.

Meanwhile, Tyrel walked into the house, walking past the scene in the living room, to burst open the bedroom door.

He came in to see the other kids in the room playing with dolls, while Sasuke painted, a restless Kiku trying to escape his arms.

Sasuke looked up, fury burning in his eyes.

_ ”You looked at my phone.” _  He accused Tyrel.

_ ”At your messages. Your password wasn’t hard. Let’s go, take Kiku with you.” _  Tyrel corrected before waving at the other children.

Tyrel ran to the door, grabbing the house key, and walking into the car, ignoring the nun who had begun to pray with fervor.

After buckling Kiku in, he went into the driver’s seat, ready to set off.

_ ”Tell me where you’re going, please.” _  The nun begged, with tears in her eyes.

Tyrel turned the key, the engine sputtering before it hummed steadily. His hand aimed for the gear lever, but he hesitated for a moment. He looked at the lever, his hand hovering in midair before he looked back at the sister.

_ ”The police. I finally got evidence. Just like you told me to.” _  Tyrel answered.

The nun clutched the rosary hanging down on her chest, her head bowed down.

_ ”I went too far. I shouldn’t have said those things. I’m truly sorry.” _

Then, she looked back up at him, her eyes glistening with tears that flowed down her face. She wiped them off, but her face was still patchy, with spots that were from tears, and spots that were from age.

_ ”Come back inside. We can talk about this. This night hangs over me like a shadow. I fear something might happen to you if you go out.” _  She said.

Tyrel shifted the car gears and gripped the steering wheel.

_ “Is fear what made you point a knife at me? Go back inside, sis.” _  With that, he stomped on the gas pedal and drove off.

Sasuke looked out the window, watching as the silhouette of the nun fade into the night.

After a few minutes, Kiku started to whimper, her face squeezing as she clenched her fist.

_ ”Come on, Kiku. Don’t start fussing.” _  Tyrel said from the driver’s seat.

But his voice was just the catalyst needed, and she starts bawling, tears and snot rushing out, as her cries rose to records highs.

_ ”Fuck.” _  Tyrel said, banging his head against the steering wheel.

Sasuke went into his pocket and grabbed a pacifier, and after wiping it off with his shirt, stuck it into the baby’s mouth. 

With that, Kiku calmed down. She reached out for the teddy bear beside her and hugged its head, the force causing cotton to leak out from the seams of the animal.

_ ”Thanks for that.” _  Tyrel said.

_ ”Where exactly are we going?” _  Sasuke didn’t give him a second to continue talking.

Tyrel sighed, tired of the argument that was about to start.

_ ”Harlem. It’s far but I know someone we can trust. Back when I lived there, she always went on about justice and trusting the system and stuff. She can help us.” _

_ ”No thanks. You can turn the car around now.” _

Tyrel glanced back at him.

_ ”No way. That motherfucker needs to go to jail.” _

_ ”He can’t, I need him right now.” _

_ ”For what? PTSD? I saw the video, Sasuke. He’s fucked up.” _

_ ”You shouldn’t have touched my phone.” _

_ ”Shit, What was I supposed to do? Everyone in the house was worried about you. You ain’t around anymore. You got all quiet and locked yourself up in the room with all those books. You starting lashing out for no reason. You don’t even talk to Kiku as much anymore. I just wanted to see what was going on with you since you weren’t going to say nothing to no one.” _

_ “It’s none of your business. Why do you care so much?” _

” _ Because you’re important to me, dummy. Everyone in that house is, including Sister Mae. She fucks up sometimes but she was the only one that would take me and my sister in together.” _

Tyrel looked at the rearview mirror, and adjusted it, his hand lingering on the metal.

_ ”Maybe she only talks in bible verses, and can’t cook for shit. But with all the shit I did? To her? And she still didn’t kick me out? I can’t help but look out for her. Everything was fine ‘til that shit pulled up and made Sis lost her shit.” _

_ ”That’s what he does. He’s manipulating her to get close to me. Since you’re not affected, he must still be weak.” _

_ ”You say he’s doing all this shit and you’re still defending him?” _

_ ”I don’t like him either, but he gave me his aid when I was sick in the beginning, and now he’s teaching me Kenjutsu. If I ever want to go back home, I have to accept his aid.” _

_ ”Ain’t worth it if he got you doing a different type of sword fighting.” _

Sasuke’s eyes hardened.

_ ”I’ll pay any price to accomplish my goal.” _

_ ”Doesn’t matter. You’re 13. He’s ... old. He can’t get away with this.” _

_ ”He won’t. I’ll deal with it.” _

_ ”This is what ‘dealing with it’ looks like?” _  Tyrel held up Sasuke’s phone, the video on the screen buffering.

Sasuke snatched the phone before the video could play.

_ ”Why are you doing this? Going so far for me? _ ” Sasuke repeated.

_ ”Lemme ask you the same thing, why are you doing this?” _

_ ”Why? Because I have to go home.” _

_ ”Why you want to go home?” _

_ ”Because if I’m stuck here, I can’t get revenge on the man who took everything away from me!” _

Tyrel bit his lip, trying to disguise the shock from hearing so much emotion in the boy’s voice.

Sasuke gripped the phone, his attempts at steadying his hands falling short.

_ ”This, going through this,” _  He said as he held the phone up,  _ “I hated every second of it. But this is nothing, compared to that night I saw that man standing over the dead bodies of my mother and father. Since that day, I have lived only for revenge. Every action I take, every thought I have, all of it, will lead me to the end when I finally kill him. Vengeance for my family triumphs everything, even something as little as dignity.” _ He pushed the phone into his pocket, faced the window, and stared out to the passing cars.

A silence permeated inside the car as Tyrel continued driving, and Sasuke kept gazing at the cars. Kiku had fallen asleep by now, holding her teddy bear in her arm.

_ “You know, it used to be just me, my mama, and my pa. Back in Harlem.” _  Tyrel finally said after a while.

_ ”We were all good, you know. My pa worked at a restaurant, and my mama at the club. We had some hard times, but we got through it. But then, my mama had Kiku and money got tight.” _

His visage became darker, the city lights illuminating his grief.

_ ”Ma couldn’t work as much and Pa got another job. He was this...um... bodyguard for one of these top gang leaders or some shit. Pa said he’ll only do it for a few months ‘til Ma got back on her feet. Then, one day, Pa was doing his job like usual, and a gang shooting broke out right there in Central Park. He got shot down, and I don’t even know who did it.” _

Tyrel gripped the steering wheel harder.

_ ”My mama, she went nuts. Started going crazy at the club, taking all these drugs and shit. I had to step up and start taking care of Kiku and get a job too. Sooner or later, she got caught with some new type of drug or something, and someone called Social Services. They took me and my sis away from my mama and put us in some crackhouse they call a foster home.” _

_ ”I hated them. They didn’t know how to treat Kiki right and I was just another thug to them. But then we got moved to Sister Mae’s.” _

His grip on the steering wheel relaxed, and he braked gently to reach the red stoplight.

_ ”She’s the only one that ever cared about us. You see, the only reason I didn’t hunt down the shit that killed my Pa is ‘cause I had to look out for Kiku. Being there with her, it changed me. I focused on the family I got, not the one I lost.” _  The light turned green, and Tyrel stepped on the gas pedal.

They were driving out on some open roads now, nothing surrounding them except the sporadic honks of trucks.

The roads were dark, and quiet, with only the remaining sounds of the city to drown out the silence.

Sasuke turned away from the window.

_ ”You’re different. You still have some of your family. There’s no one else for me.” _  Sasuke pointed out.

” _ Man, use your head. Family ain’t just blood. It’s the people that stand beside you, that want to see you get better. Someone you take care of, or someone who takes care of you. My family ain’t just my mama and my sis. It’s you, and sister Mae, and the rest of the kids at the home. You tellin’ me there isn’t anyone you want to protect?” _  Tyrel shook his head at him and asked.

Sasuke went into his other pocket to reveal what he’s been holding on for the past months. The blue fabric had become darker with dirt and age, but the metal still shined as bright. 

He fingered the leaf engraving, thinking of the people he cared about. The lazy, gray-haired sensei who stopped by sometimes to watch him practice his katas. The girl with pink hair and an even brighter temper, who stood by his side and supported him. 

Kakashi. Sakura.

The rival who was too loud. With his bright yellow hair, neon orange clothes, and a mouth that wouldn’t shut up. Who always looked for a fight, and never backed up, and had chakra that lasted for days. Who challenged him every day even though he was outmatched. Who went around shouting he was going to be Hokage to every damn stranger he met. Who won a match with an ice-style ninja, defeated a genius from a prestigious clan, and head-butted a literal sand monster.

Naruto.

The person he watched get dragged from his hospital room because he wouldn’t ever let someone like Sasuke put him down without a fight.

Someone he left behind.

“ _ There is, isn’t there? I see your thinking face. You got family you care about, and family that care about you. You think they like seeing you do this shit? Letting someone hurt you? They don’t. I don’t. That’s why I won’t let go of it. Because you’re important to me, and it kills me to see you hurting. _ ” Tyrel finished off.

_ ”I think, after this, I’ll need help finding someone. Someone ... important to me.” _  Sasuke said as he looked down at his leaf headband, before putting it back.

Sasuke saw Tyrel smile through the rearview mirror.

_ “I don’t know. I think I’m busy all week.” _

Tyrel laughed as Sasuke frowned at him.

Right at that moment, Kiku woke up, plucked the pacifier from her mouth, threw it out the window, and started screaming.

The comfortable silence broke as shrill and desperate cries racked the car.

Tyrel turned towards the backseat, worry underlining his eyes,  _ “I have never seen her cry so hard, can you see what’s up with her?” _

Sasuke unbuckled the baby and carried her to his lap.

Kiku didn’t cry as often as other babies did, and when she did cry, the nun or the other teen always knew what to do to calm her down.

This was completely out of Sasuke’s territory.

”Calm down, don’t cry...uhh... it’ll be okay?” Sasuke tried swinging her in his arms but her wails only increased.

_ ”You trying to swing her out the window?? Do it slower, and put some confidence in your voice. Are you talking to her or yourself? Why you speaking Japanese, anyway? She doesn't understand it.” _  Tyrel advised, glancing back every few seconds.

_ “She barely understands anything. It's fine. I can do this." _  He said as he began to sway her, and bounce her up and down a bit.

“Don’t cry, be happy, be okay,” Sasuke said, sounding more like he was reciting something rather than comforting someone.

_ ”You gotta get some emotion in your voice, think about how people calm you down.”  _

_ “I don’t think fighting a toddler would work,” _  Sasuke said but the louder Kiku’s sobs got, the more he was considering it.

_ ”Okay, you got issues. But think about how someone else might get calmed down.” _

Sasuke tried thinking back to his early childhood, but he and his brother didn’t really shed tears.

So, Sasuke thought back to the multiple times as a genin when he had rejected Sakura’s invitations for practically anything.

Obviously, Naruto’s attempts at asking her on a date wouldn’t work.

Maybe Kakashi’s methods will.

”Hey, don’t worry. Everything will be okay.” He said, his voice getting quieter and his sways more gentle.

Kiku’s wails lowered to a whimper, her voice threatening to die out, and she looked back at Sasuke with big, brown eyes.

_ “Wow, I didn’t think you could do it. Good job.” _  Tyrel praised from behind the wheel.

Sasuke felt a little bit of pride at proving him wrong, so he lifted up his chin and “Hn.”

But a small smile still sneaked its way to his face.

As soon as Kiku saw this, her cries started back up again like a rusty generator.

Sasuke tried calming her down, but her cries were louder than before, up to the point that she was screaming now.

_ ”I’m really close to punching her right now.” _  He said, her wails making him sway faster.

_ ”Don’t! I’ll just—Shit! It’s the cops.” _  Tyrel banged his fist against the dashboard as blue lights flashed behind the car.

The sirens did nothing to appease the baby and only made her more upset, to the point she was trying to kick and punch her way out of Sasuke’s arms.

_ ”Don’t worry. Once I pull over and talk to the cops, I’ll take her from you.” _  Tyrel steered the car over to a shoulder next to the road.

_ ”Hurry up.”  _  Sasuke was struggling to hold onto the baby, while she cried, screamed and almost fell to the ground.

_ ”You can handle a crying baby, no need for the attitude.” _  Tyrel said.

A knock on the window distracts Tyrel, and he winds down to see the pale, stern face of the officer.

_ ”I’ll need you to come out of the car, boy.” _  The man said, his flashlight shining into Tyrel’s eyes.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the officer’s tone and opened his mouth to say something undoubtedly mean.

But Tyrel caught the movement and gestured for Sasuke to calm down.

_ ”This’ll be only a few minutes, maybe when I come back, you’ll have a handle on her.” _

Sasuke’s frown deepened with that comment, and Tyrel couldn’t help but laugh.

The officer knocked again, this time on the door.  _ ”I don’t like repeating myself.” _

Tyrel gave a heavy sigh and patted Kiku’s hair, which did nothing to silence the baby.

_ ”I be back.” _  Tyrel said in a deep voice, probably a reference to a movie Sasuke hasn’t—and never will—watch. 

He stepped out of the car, and slammed the door shut, standing close to the front door to talk to the officer.

Sasuke, tired of holding onto Kiku, put her down to the seat next to him.

He climbed over on to the front seat and opened up the Glock compartment to find something that might shut Kiki up.

He went through papers, and papers, and more papers that he didn’t bother to read.

He finally found a paper that was red with big, black capital letters. Capital letters aren’t used to completely make up English words so it was obvious this paper was important to someone.

Too bad he needed it.

He grabbed it and bent over to Kiku, who was rubbing at her eyes and still sniffling.

”Look here. I’ll show you something someone else once did.”

Sasuke said, before folding the paper in halves, then in quarts.

Kiku’s cries stopped as her eyes widened at Sasuke’s hand motions.

He kept folding, and twisting, and flipping it around.

When he was done, he showed the baby a red origami flower.

Kiku’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. She babbled and giggled as her grubby, brown hands reached out for the flower. Sasuke watched as she grabbed it, and stared at it in wonder, before trying to eat it.

Sasuke picked her up and put her on his lap, smug that he proved Tyrel wrong.

The conversation outside didn’t seem heated or intense, which means that Sasuke could interrupt it to brag about his accomplishment.

He winded down the window of the passenger side and pushed his and Kiku’s head outside.

_ ”Look. _ ” He called out to him.

Tyrel turned his head around to see Kiku chewing on what was definitely Sister Mae’s bills.

Seeing the smirk on Sasuke’s face, he chuckled and smiled.

Then, a shot rang out and something collided with his head and pushed him onto the car door.

He heard ringing, not in his ears, but as if it was from inside his head.

He could feel something warm gushing out of his forehead, all sticky and wet.

He grew weak quick, his legs becoming wobbly and his vision blurring out.

It seemed like it was the hardest thing to do, lifting his head up.

Both windows were down, and he looked to the side to see Sasuke and his sister splashed with blobs of blood and black bits.

Sasuke gaped at him, his eyes widening and glistening. Tears flowed down his face and mixed with droplets of red, dirtying his pale complexion.

Something black and red-stained Kiku’s yellow shirt, and she watched him, not letting out a single whimper.

He looked into their faces—into their eyes—and for a second, saw something.

He looked into Kiku’s eyes and saw in its reflection nothing like she wasn’t really there.

He looked into Sasuke’s eyes and saw in its reflection the officer raising his gun and shooting him twice.

* * *

 

Naruto stood back to look at his latest achievement, his smile quirking up a little to become a smirk.

It had taken a while to find some needles, threads, better clothing stores, but after all that, he was finally done.

Naruto held up his finished work of art: a big, traffic-cone-orange jacket.

“Look at it, Ku-man! I’m so awesome!” He screamed, turning the jacket back, to marvel at the orange swirl that he had managed to recreate.

** Yes, you did it. You made a new jacket, hooray. **

“Not just a jacket, but the swirl. The swirl!!” He shook the jacket off and bounced up and down a bit. “It’s taken weeks just to create the swirl and stitch it on the jacket, ya’know!”

Naruto grabbed the jacket and put it on, his smile reaching from ear-to-ear.

”Okay! One down, five more to go!” He launched off the rooftop and landed on a table where a couple was eating.

”What the fuck!” The man screamed as both he and his partner leaped off their seats to make way for Naruto.

”Fuck!” Naruto repeated back before he dashed off onto the sidewalk.

** Didn’t your friend say that habit was inconsequential? **

”No, he said it was annoying! But I like saying English words, they sound so funny. Like Fuck! Fuuuhhhhhhhck. It’s all like fuuuuu then ‘ck’! Hehe.” Naruto ran off, pronouncing inappropriate words and making an enemy of any nearby parent.

Naruto scurried and swerved around pedestrians, but mostly it was just him bumping into them as he ran off to an alley.

There, he pulled out a brick and grabbed the map hidden in the empty space.

** No one wants to have your map. **

”You don’t know that!” He sat down and opened the map, the paper circled and underlined in various spots.

”Okay, so according to that movie Zip and I watched, there are multiple dimensions, right?” 

** No, movies aren’t real. **

”They are! It said ‘real-life’ and ‘sci-fi’ mashing together. Real-life, Ku-man!” Naruto pulled out a pen from his pocket and tapped it against the map.

** Fine, believe that. But’s what the point? **

”Look at this! It’s something called a Newspaper!”

** I know, kit. You said that five hours ago when you picked it off the pavement. **

”I had Zip translate it for me, and he said that some rich guy is hosting a big party.”

** And? **

”And at the party, he’ll have some weird gadget that can open up dimensions! You hear that? That’s our way home.”

Naruto circled the upper part of the map, even deciding to draw a small smiley face to the side.

** A few things with your plan. **

”Uh-huh.”

** We’re not invited to this person’s party. **

”Uh-huh.”

** You don’t have any clothes that can match the dress code to match for this party. **

”Uh-huh.”

** You don’t know how the device works. **

”Uh-huh.”

** You don’t know who the host is. **

”Nuh-uh! His name is Mr. Ibehenaks. It’s right here in the paper.” Naruto held the article up and pointed at the paper.

”Besides, all we gotta do is break in, grab it, and break out. When did you start worrying about technicalities and instructions?"

** When you decided it was pointless to have a brain. **

”HEY! Would a brainless person discover a plan like this?”

** Yes, because it’s a horrible one. What if you smash everything with your ‘breaking in’ and break the device? We don’t even know how it looks like.  **

“Hmm. You’re usually the one that is like, KILL EVERYONE, SHOW THEM YOUR POWER, and stuff.”

** I still am. But this place infuriates me, and I’m not blind enough to think that my method of doing things will get us home with this opportunity. **

”So we need a little time to plan it, we can do it, dattebayo!”

** This party is in two weeks. We’ll need more than a little time to do this. We’ll need careful planning, dedication, efficiency—. **

“Skills. Trained skills.” Naruto said, his face slowly devolving into shock.

**.....No. **

”Kurama, we have to.”

** No, we don’t. **

”Come on, I don’t want to do it either, ya’know?”

** All those years in a ninja village and you don’t think you have enough skills to sneak into a party. **

”I do! I didn’t pull pranks for nothing! But barging in and sneaking in will just get me through the door. I’m not good at gathering information.”

** NO ** !

”I’ll need Sasuke.”

** Don’t seek him out. The Uchiha blood is burdened with the curse of hatred. **

“So what if he hates me? As long as we get out of here, then it’s fine.”

** That’s not what I meant, but it looks like it’s not as fine as you think it is. **

”What?”

Naruto looked down at his fist and saw the pen, now broken with ink spurting out.

He threw away the pen and turned the newspaper around to wipe the ink off his hands, hoping it wouldn’t leak into the front.

He hadn’t seen Sasuke in four months. 

He didn’t know where he was. He could have found him, for sure, but he didn’t want to. With Zip around, he wasn’t lonely.

But without Sasuke, he was alone.

Just as before, no one could truly understand him as much as Sasuke.

No one in this world had heard of Konoha. There’s somewhere called Japan where they all speak his language but no Konoha. 

A world where there weren’t ninjas except in the past. A world without chakra. A world without any ninja village. 

A world he had no future in.

And the only person that could understand him hated him.

”What am I supposed to do about him? How am I supposed to talk to him? He’s being stuck-up, and asshole-ish, and stupid! What if we never talk again and I end leaving him behind? Or what if he leaves me behind?” Naruto ranted, cursing Sasuke’s name as he stood up and stomped about.

** Why do you concern yourself with him? The Uchihas are not one you should associate with. **

”He changed!” Naruto screamed, ignoring the fox completely.

”He looked at me with those eyes! The one that everyone in the village had. Like I was the scum under their shoes. I didn’t deserve that!” 

Naruto panted hard, tears clouding his vision as he snarled at the image in his head. The scorns and hatred that radiated off the villagers. The fury held in Sasuke’s eyes that burned even more than theirs.

”I don’t deserve that.” He finished off, sitting down and pulling his legs close to his chest.

Even away from the village, he’s still can’t escape being the vessel of the Kyuubi.

The alley was silent, but not the city. He could hear the squeal of tires as a car took another turn, the huffs of breath people take, the buzzing of flies as they perched on roadkill. Nothing escaped his sharp hearing.

Especially the soft patterns of shoes, as if someone was trying to sneak into the alley.

Naruto turned around to face the stranger.

“Who’s there, show yourself!” Naruto crouched his body low, his hand hovering over the leg band where he put his kunai. 

The clandestine presence stayed away from Naruto’s sight but stepped closer.

Naruto stepped closer and heard a sharp inhale.

He jumped back to evade the fist that was about to hit him.

” _ Hey, kid. Why don’t you just calm down and come with us? The boss just wants to have a word with you.” _

The shadow was a tall, man dressed in a grey hoodie. As Naruto stepped back to see his enemy, two other people walked up to the other guy.

_ ”Hey, you sure this the kid? He ain’t tall enough to be causing this much trouble.” _  One of them asked as they pointed at Naruto.

_ ”It’s him, alright. Blond hair, scars on the cheeks, orange clothes. Matches what the boss gave us.” _

His suaveness and calmness slipped out from his tone to become rougher, and deep.

Naruto didn’t know what was going on, but he wasn’t going to let himself get beaten by C-rank criminals.

He pulled out his kunai and stepped into place.

”You can sit this one out, Ku-man. I’m gonna show you how it’s done!”

** What’s the point if you’ll leave them alive? **

But the fox’s bored facade didn’t hide the hint of curiosity in his mutterings.

_ “What the hell is he saying?” _

_ ”Doesn’t matter, let’s get him!” _  And the man rushed towards Naruto, trying to grab him.

Naruto made a wide swing and slashed the man’s hand.

The man dropped down in pain, and Naruto kicked him into the next enemy, causing both of them to fly into the wall.

The wall collapsed under the force, and both bodies became buried waist up in bricks, dust, and dried mortar.

But there was one guy left who stared back at Naruto in shock.

_ ”What the fuck are you?” _  He ran back to his friends and went into one of their pockets before pulling out a gun.

_ ”Stop! I’ll shoot you down.” _  He pointed it at Naruto.

Naruto hesitated a bit, staring the weapon down before dashing towards the guy.

The crook took aim and fired, but Naruto zig-zagged and dodged each bullet.

In a desperate act, he threw the gun at the boy, but Naruto slapped it away and punched him hard. 

The man started to go down like his other friends but Naruto had grabbed onto his collar to pull his back.

_ ”You! You speak Japanese?” _  He asked, raising his other fist to threaten him.

”Yeah, yeah, yeah. Please don’t kill me!” He begged, his hands wiping the blood flowing out of his nose.

”Then why did you try to attack me? I was minding my business when you guys showed up.” Naruto asked.

”Why you care? This is just how the streets are, kid.”

Naruto dropped the man onto the concrete, and stepped on his neck, pressing hard.

When his face had become red, and his attempts to claw Naruto’s leg off more urgent, Naruto released a little bit of pressure.

The criminal coughed and sputtered, tears pouring out of his eyes.

"Talk! Or I'll do it again." Naruto said, his shoe hovering over the guy's neck.

”Okay! The boss...someone told him that two kids were double-crossing him. Leo said we should just roughen you up a bit and take the other crew’s cash. But the boss was mad. He said we should find you so we can punish you.”

“You’re looking for Zip??” Naruto dropped the crook and dashed off the street, his mind focused on protecting his friend.

Naruto had decided to some of his stuff away from the foster home he was supposed to be staying in because things kept going missing. He would have just kept them in Zip's place but Zip had said that he won't enable a hoarder so he did it somewhere close.

It took only a few minutes to reach the abandoned building, but Naruto didn't waste any time in bursting through the door screaming.

"What the fuck, fishhead. I almost dropped my paintbrushes." Zip stumbled, cuddling up the different tools to his chest.

"Forget painting! We have to get ready to fight. Those gangs you were talking about are looking for us, and we gotta fight back. I know you said not to, but I hid some of my kunais here anyway." Naruto pushed the couch aside to reveal the hole that had his stash of weapons.

"Wow, those losers took long enough. I figured it would be days before they found us, but you're really sneaky, you know." Zip dropped his tools and popped open a soda can.

"Why are you just sitting down there? We have to start preparing." Naruto jumped in front of Zip, but he ignored the rascal and took a long sip from his drink.

"Shit, do I look like that green dude? How I'm supposed to fight against bullets?" Zip said, tossing the can at Naruto.

Naruto deflected the projectile away from him and glared at Zip, "I can fight them off, but you can't give up! Let's work together."

Zip fell down onto the couch and slouched until his butt almost touched the floor.

"You really think we can win against these guys? Don't you think we should run away?" Zip looked back at him.

"No, way! We can beat these chumps. And I never give up, that's my nindo, my ninja way!" Naruto pumped his fist into the air.

"Well, if you say so. I guess we're going to defend ourselves against 2 rival gangs." Zip pulled himself up to face Naruto.

"Yeah. What's going on with you, you're not acting like yourself." Naruto asked.

"Don't worry about it. Your little speech cheered me up. Listen, thirty blocks away from this building, you'll see an alley that has a streetlamp with a red sash tied to it. That's where I stored a shitload of weapons and stuff. Like, grade-A bombs and dynamite type shit. You're way faster than me. You have to be the one to run as fast as you can and pick up all the shit there. Then, we can take those stuff and hit them at their bases. We use the bombs, take most of them out, and the rest that comes crawling out, you squish them. Just hide your identity and no one would think a little boy would do that shit. They'll be too busy looking for the bomber to worry about us anymore. Go grab the stuff, and I'll have the blueprints drawn up by the time you're done." Zip explained, bringing out a map with a circle drawn.

"Awesome, you have everything planned out so quickly. I'll run as fast as I can." Naruto bounced on his toes.

"Yeah, just make sure you don't get caught. For this plan to work, I need you alive." Zip said as he started packing up his few possessions in a bag.

"I'll be fine. You stay alive too!" Naruto ran out the door. He heard a 'tsk' but by the time he had processed it, he had climbed up the building and reached the rooftop.

 Naruto didn't take pleasure in running this time. He rushed through the rooftops, putting more force into his jumps so that he can jump over the taller buildings instead of just climbing them.

** It seems like you're taking this seriously. Didn't I tell you to focus on the mission? **

"Can't talk. Must run. Help?"

** Just use some of my chakra to boost yourself. **

"Oh yeah!"

Naruto stopped running to focus on channeling the fox's chakra.

Just when he felt he got the hang of it, the calm breeze flowing through the air turned into harsh torrents of wind that cracked and whipped against Naruto. He grunted against the force and tried to hold his ground, but the torrents left cuts and scratches against the exposed parts of his body. He felt himself sliding towards the edge of the roof from the force of the wind. Just as the toes were about to slide off the rooftop, the wind calmed down.

** Idiot, I said to use my chakra, not yours.  **

That's what happens when I use my chakra?

** Do you not know what 'sealed' means? You can't use your chakra. But if your intent is strong enough, it appears that wind acts as a deterrent or punishment or some sorts. **

Damn it!

** Do I have to help you with everything? You're lucky that destruction amuses me. **

Naruto felt heat rising up his body, and chakra bubbling up. With no time to spare, he ran across the building, almost disappearing from one end to the next. 

"Hehehe, I'm really getting fast now." Naruto jumped up and cleared one building in a single leap. 

In a matter of minutes, Naruto made the final jump and leaped into a dark alley. The sun had set by now, causing all the street lamps to light up.

Including one with a red ribbon tied at its base.

"This must be the place. I don't see any weapons though." Naruto said, as he walked into the alley and looked around.

** They won't be hiding in plain sight. Use the map. **

Naruto pulled out the map, but all it had was the red circle showing the block where it was located.

"I don't see anything. Maybe he gave me the wrong- Oohh, what's this?" He bent the map, and a little bit of purple writing showed. But it was too light for Naruto to read it.

"If I move it towards here, it becomes clearer, but the only thing in that direction is the streetlight". Naruto thought it out.

By now, the chakra that Kurama gave him had rescinded, so he was much slower in climbing the lamp.

He put the map down on the bulb and watched the purple writing appeared in clear, bold letters.

"Okay, it says to go to a door on the side of the wall, and I'll see a safe. The password is 25483. I can do that no sweat." Naruto dropped down to the floor and looked around until he saw a steel door.

He tried opening it but it wouldn't budge.

"He thought all this up, but he didn't think of putting a key? Whatever, I don't need it." Naruto muttered to himself before he kicked the door clean off its hinges. 

The door collided into the wall in the room, shaking the whole building a bit, but still remaining steady.

Naruto walked through the room, which was all dark and empty. It was kinda weird, though. Because he could still see the room clearly, even though he knew it was dark.

** It's because you have night vision now. With the seal keeping us more intertwined than your seal ever did, you're starting to adopt more of my characteristics. **

"What? Does that mean I'll turn into a fox?" He asked, gulping a bit.

** No, you'll still be human. Mostly.  **

"What's 'mostly'?" Naruto asked but the question disappeared from his mind when he felt something underneath his foot.

He uncovered his foot to see a safe with a lock pad next to it.

"Yes! Okay, what was the number? 2. 5. 4. 8. 3." He pressed the numbers on the lock pad and heard a click.

Naruto opened the door and grabbed a big, brown, sack bag that looked like it was stuffed into the safe.

"This bag feels off, I'm gonna take a peep," Naruto said to himself to rationalize his curiosity. He untied the rope that closed the bag and looked inside.

There wasn't a single weapon in the bag, but there was a lot of cash.

Naruto sifted through what must have been thousands of dollars, all packed up neatly into the bag.

"I don't understand...dattebayo." Naruto tied the bag up and wandered out of the room.

"Why did Zip give me all this money? What am I supposed to do with this?" He ran out from the alley and climbed up the building.

As he rushed ran across the rooftops, he felt something ominous crawl up his skin. Something telling him that he wouldn't like what he'll see at Zip's house.

For some reason, Naruto felt opposed to using the Nine-Tails's chakra, so it took him close to an hour to reach the abandoned building. 

He saw the door wide open and ran in, wielding his kunai tight in his right hand.

But there was no one there in the building. 

Naruto looked around and saw traces of paper and building plans as if Zip was working out his scheme.

Confused and tired, Naruto dropped the bag on the floor and fell on to the couch. He felt something underneath him and pulled out a letter addressed to him.

Dear Fishhead (Naruto),

   If you are reading this letter, you're probably pissed and wondering what the fuck you're going to do with the fat lump of cash I gave you. Well, normal people would be ecstatic and think that this is the best day of their lives and run off with the money and not look back. Fortunately and unfortunately, you're not normal. Maybe the plan could have worked. But that's the thing, I didn't want it to work. Before yesterday, none of the gangs knew I was double-crossing them. I'm the one that  ~~let the cat out of the bag~~  told them our secret. Sorry, I forgot you don't know Idioms. Anyways, I didn't plan on you wanting to fight them. That's why I had you out getting stuff. To distract you. You know the  ~~shi~~   ~~fuc~~  guy I told you that I wanted to meet? That he cared about me? It was all a big fuck fucking lie. I saw him here in New York, meeting with one of my aunts saying how he was going trick me into going back. His exact words were "Make life a living hell". My family has their hands everywhere. I didn't think it's possible to escape them anymore. They're going to break me to pieces and turn me into their fucking doll. I won't go through that. I was so scared of being forced to go back to them that I thought maybe being beaten up by the gangs would be a better way to go out. But then you came in and started screaming about fighting back and I don't know, you fucking inspired me. My family might be the biggest shareholders in the Roxxon Corporation but I won't let that shit stop me. I'm going to go through with it. Naruto, thank you so much for being my friend. For showing that even if my biological family doesn't care about me, I can find one that does. I will always treasure the memories we had. But I won't drag you into my problems. Take the money and go back to your village. Or don't, I wouldn't. Find what makes you happy and stick with it. That's what I'm gonna do now.

Naruto dropped the letter back on the table, the paper stained with tears.

All of a sudden, the building trembled, as if someone started to shake it. Naruto held onto the couch and couldn't do anything as the couch bounced up and down before the tremors finally stopped.

But something as disaster-seeming as this was irrelevant to Naruto. He ran out of the building and jumped onto another rooftop, heading towards the voluminous columns of smoke and flames. 

He was angry, he was sad, he was worried, he was scared. Naruto battled against the raging fight between the emotions he felt. Zip had become one of his dearest friends. He liked Naruto, and he didn't think he was crazy when he told him all the stuff about Konoha. Even though he argued with Zip a lot, he never derided him. He treated him like a person, like someone deserving of respect. Naruto wouldn't let some people with a grudge take that away from him.

His speed boosted, and he felt red chakra slipping onto him, covering him up like a worn sweater. He felt a shift, physically and mentally. Maybe his teeth and nails had grown sharper, or he was running on all fours. It didn't distract Naruto, however, from what he'll do once he reaches the base.

Tear. Shit. Up.

He flipped down from the rooftop and landed in the middle of the smoke cloud.

The smoke disoriented Naruto; the smell was too harsh and burned his nostrils. His vision, while better, still had trouble seeing anything that wasn't right in front of him.

The air was spoiled, the stench of smoke and blood permeated into it. Naruto felt poisoned just from standing in the fumes. 

How would Zip fare from it?

Naruto ran around the compound, pushing against fallen debris.

He felt someone try to grab his arm, only to end up screeching. 

The sound of crying and the smell of burnt flesh was enough to attract some people towards him.

_ "Look, it's him! You think he did it?" _

_ "What the fuck is that shit around him?" _

_ "Don't go near it! I think it burned Uzi." _

_ "I'll deal with this. Now." _

The mutterings and pointings stopped as soon as a man walked through the crowd. He was tall, 6'4 almost, and his posture accentuated the age that the brown skin spots and wrinkles had shown. His face was grim and nasty as he looked down at Naruto with a cruel gaze.

While holding a leather jacket fit for a twelve-year-old boy.

"What...What did you do to Zip?" Naruto bent down into a fighting pose, his claws lengthening and chakra heating up.

_ "Translator." _  The boss called out.

_ "He wants to know where the other kid is." _  Someone called out.

At this, the man laughed a horrible laugh, full of mockery and superiority. It was slow, but bit by bit, the laughter grew as various voices grew brave and joined their boss in mocking the poor runt.

With each laughter, Naruto grew angrier, his rage making the chakra cloak to spike up. He clawed into the ground, the dirt, to restrain himself but it leaked out.

Pure hatred.

He felt the cloak get bigger, doubling up, and he took action. With one of his chakra tails, he grabbed someone laughing loud and threw him at the boss. It was a direct hit, the thrown man hitting the other in the stomach. The boss fell from the weight, while the other man screamed and cried from the burn.

With that, it became a free-for-all as Naruto fought everyone. They shot his gun at him, but the bullets melted in his cloak. They threw rocks and empty guns at him, he deflected them back. Some brave yet hasty ones attacked with a bat or their fists. Naruto slapped them out of the way with his tail. He let out a roar so powerful, it swept them away. Noxious chakra flowed through the air and crept over them like death's cloak.

It turned into a bloody slaughter. Naruto slashed through skin and punched so hard he could see the imprint of his fist against their face. He leaped across to someone and gripped their arms, watching it shift to a vibrant red, curdle into a moldy brown, and decay into a boiled black. Their body stopped stirring and Naruto let go, their blood seeping into his fingernails. Within five minutes, it turned into all-out chaos as people ran to escape the harbinger of death. Naruto ignored those running, and turned his head back to the leader, his eyes as red as the blood splashed against his face.

The boss, still on his feet, crawled away from the boy, his breathing becoming laboring, and the layers of sweat adorning his skin.

_ "Don't kill me! The boy is still alive! I was just tryna scare you. I don't know where he went. Please, please!!! _ " His eyes grew wider and more desperate as Naruto walked closer to him. Naruto grabbed the boss's collar and drew out his kunai, the tip caressing the man's neck.

_ "Please, No! I can't die! I don't want to die!" _  He pleaded, his face dirty with sweat, tears, and blood.

As Naruto kept looking at this man mumbling words, clasping his hand together, and crying.

He was afraid.

Naruto, for the first time, looked around to see his surroundings.

Everywhere was loud, with rumble falling, smoke billowing, fire burning, and people screaming. He looked down to see his foot stepping on someone's head. His mouth tasted of copper, and his hands were filled with blood. 

Did he really do this? Did he really hurt these people? Did he kill them?

Naruto looked down unto the green necklace glowing bright underneath his jacket. He finally understood why it was so important.

He was dangerous.

From a distance, Naruto could hear the faint but approaching sound of sirens.

He dropped the gang leader and ran off, tears blurring out the vision of his escape route. But he ran anyway, the anger washing away, disgust and self-hatred rushing forth. He kept leaping and racing until he fell down in front of the Zip's apartment. He went up to the door, only to find that he locked it. He slid down against the door until he reached the floor. 

His hands were bloodied, weren't they?

He looked down at his hands, but he saw Zip's leather jacket instead.

Naruto brought the jacket to his nose, but all he could smell was the scent of ash.

"You ... You should have taken me with you. I would have helped. Now you're gone..." Naruto's voice broke at the last statement. He wiped at his eyes with his hands to stop the tears threatening to fall, but his hands were all bloody and it stung his eyes. He held his breath to stop his chest from heaving because crying doesn't solve anything. But now his eyes burned, his clothes were all messed up, and he needed air. So when it got too painful, he gulped up air in large breaths, and let out loud wails in another.

That was how he spent the night, leaning against the door to an abandoned building and crying.

It was a few hours before his sobs had loosened to hiccups. He curled up on himself, using the jacket he was wearing to cover himself.

"This happened because I didn't listen to you, right? I should have just focus on getting back home, huh, Kurama?" Naruto asked the fox but his mind was quiet.

"You're probably saying 'I told you so' down there. I was with Zip so long, I was so happy to have a friend. I knew I was gonna leave him, but I still stayed with him anyway." Naruto rubbed at his face, smearing blood and snot.

"I should just focus on Konoha now. Like I should have before." With this, he stood up and grabbed both his and Zip's jacket. 

He thought about it, throwing the jacket in the trash. Zip wasn't going to come back for it. He held it up and traced the black seams, the white zipper, and felt the soft fabric lining the pockets.

It was so painful, having those great memories, and knowing you'll never experience them again.

Naruto went to the door and broke the lock. The door swung freely, and Naruto walked into the apartment.

When he walked back outside, he was wearing Zip's jacket with the red Uzumaki circle on the back.

* * *

 

 

Sasuke stood in the middle of the garden.

He was surrounded by hedges, shrubs, trees, and flowers that all towered over him, shrouding the area with the shadows of perfectly-cut leaves. The garden had as much area as the apartment he resided in. Unlike the roads engulfed in exhaust or the piss-covered sidewalks, the garden was immaculate, illustrating the level of perfection that only the upper class can achieve.

He walked along the cobblestone path, his eyes barely glancing over the blooming flowers. His stroll ended as he reached the center pond adorned with fallen petals and vibrant lily pads.

He bent down to pick a flower that fell, its pink and rosy buds dripping water against his fingers.

"That flower is called the Lenten Rose." A voice said, the owner walking up close until he was right behind him.

He felt a hand rest over his shoulder, the palms pressing softly but gripping firmly. He felt an arm wrap over his right side until someone's hand laid over his. 

"Technically, it isn't a rose, but rather a hybrid. A different type of plant made through the combination of two other flowers. And how, do you think, these flowers combine?" He could hear the smile in his voice. He leaned in close, so close that the smell of wine waded against his nose.

"The one way that I like to utilize is grafting. That is, to take the upper body of one and combine it with another." He came even closer, and as he said his explanation, he nudged the flower into his hand.

"Isn't it fascinating, the idea of creating something greater than its individual parts? With flowers, the final product ends up as something stronger, something more beautiful." He pinched the petals against his fingers, pulling it apart slowly as it turned lighter, the veins contrasting with the blush-colored petal.

"Imagine," He paused, he paused as if he was holding his breath, pulling against the petal and watching the tear expand, growing with each force exerted until it reaches a climax and the petal rips apart. "The same thing but with humans." He rushed the words as if he was exhaling them.

Sasuke stepped away to drop the flower into the pond.

"I'm not here for gardening advice." He said.

"Then what are you here for?" The other asked.

It was a simple question, the answer even simpler.

"Revenge."

The other turned away, his head facing the mansion. "You won't find it here."

"You need to remove this seal. With all my chakra sealed, it's pointless." He nudged his neck, the black spiral pattern curse mark, showing.

His face cracked from the smirk that crawled onto it. "Can't the great Uchiha handle a little pain?" He asked.

Sasuke 'tsked', already expecting this response. He turned around, his face wiped of emotion.

"If you want to understand how the Sage's seal works on my body, you'll have to remove the curse mark. That's why you will. You're curious about the seal of a God." 

The snake's facade shifted into an insidious composure, yellow's eyes glowing with an exhilaration that came from trapping the prey.

"You've always been a smart boy, Sasuke-Kun."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The curse mark was off, and Sasuke went back to the apartment.

He opened the door, walked in, and headed straight into his room.

There he spent the next two hours alone, trying to focus on the one role that fate had bestowed on him.

_ "Knock, knock. I'm coming in." _  A voice rang out, and a second later, the door slammed open to reveal Sister Mae holding her favorite bible.

_ "I came in to talk to you and the descent you've been making." _  She looked around to see scattered notebooks, torn blueprints, and long bandages littering the floor.

_ "I have never seen the room so filthy before. It wouldn't hurt to clean up." _  She started to pick up the trash, only pausing when she grabbed the used bandages.

_ "My God! Why is there's so much blood on this? And there's something off about it too." _  The nun looked closer, trying to pick up the familiar smell that accompanied the rusty, coppery stench when the boy grabbed everything out of her hands and dumped it into the trashcan.

He looked back at her, a glare on his face, but she ignored it and sat down on the carpeted floor.

_ "This is hard. Not just for you but for Kiku, and the other kids, and me. We're all suffering together in this pain from loss." _  She sighed, and looked out the from the open door to the opposite room, dirty and ransacked by children looking for a way to rationalize death.

" _ But I think your suffering is different from ours. You haven't socialized with anyone for almost a month. You won't even look at Kiku. She's in pain, just like you, and maybe if you talked to her, both of you can get some sense of comfort, even if it's small." _  She explained, to which her only response was a muttered "hn".

_ "I also think you're angry about everything. But that anger will consume you if you let it. If you keep holding it in, they'll be nothing left of you." _ She said.

".......", he whispered.

_ "What did you say? _ " The nun leaned in close.

_ "......Then, let it." _

The sister recoiled and her eyes widened in shock, her assumption that he couldn't speak English broken to pieces.

_ "Le-Let what?" _  She asked, not sure she could trust her hearing.

" _ Then, let it consume me. It doesn't matter as long as I do what's needed." _  He finished his focus split between the conversation and a paper he was writing in.

_ "Then what is it that you need to do?" _

_ "Get revenge." _  The lead in his pencil cracked against the paper.

_ "Revenge? You can't get revenge!" _  The sister went into another shock from hearing such dark thoughts.

_ "Why can't I?" _

_ "Because it's bad!" _

_ "Hm?" _

They both looked at each other, one filled with disbelief, and the other with confusion.

Both were adamant in their beliefs, that revenge was something that must be pursued, and revenge was something that must be taboo. 

_ "Revenge will never solve anything. It encourages hatred and sin." _  She explained, her mind still not processing the fact that she was explaining the wrongness of revenge.

_ "Revenge is the only solution. He killed him, and now he's walking around with blood on his hands. I'm the only one that can stop him and any other act he'll commit. His death is inevitable." _

_ "Death? You're planning on killing him?" _

_ "He must die. It's the only way to serve justice." _

_ "You can't just kill someone! It's against the law of this country, it's against the laws of God. You don't decide who lives or who don't. That's why we have a justice system." _

_ "But he does? He gets to kill, and I can't do the same?" _  Sasuke raised his voice, anger seeping out.

_ "Following his actions will only pull you down to his level." _

_ "What other option is there?" _

_ "Forgiveness. Let go of the hatred that resides in you. Revenge will trap you in hatred. Once you forgive, you'll be freed. Free of hate." _  She said, resolute in her beliefs.

But to Sasuke, the self-proclaimed avenger, it was inconceivable. To forgive someone, to let people tear you apart and do nothing about it? The idea seemed stupid. How is it possible? To see someone destroy your loved ones, see them walk away without a scratch, and think that the best thing to do is to 'forgive'? It sounded disrespectful, the murdered seeing you treat their death as if it was nothing.

He couldn't do that. Not a single cell in his body will let him do that.

_ "So I should just let that man walk away with no punishment? Just so I can feel better?" _

_ "He's not walking away-" _

_ "He is! The justice system failed. He's out there, living happily, not a single worry in his life, acting like he didn't just kill Tyrel. He murdered him! Why am I the only one that wants to do something about it?!" _

" _ You're not the judge, jury or executioner. We can't kill people because we feel like it. God will exact punishment for his sins." _

Sasuke stood up, holding his bag and notebook.

"Then I'll become the punishment, and send his soul where it belongs." He walked out the door, urgency in his steps. 

_ "Where are you going? _ " She got up and ran out of the room, but there wasn't a trace of him left in the house.

She eyed the house phone, but something crawled up her heart remembering the hurt in his eyes. 

So, she looked away and headed back to the bedrooms to comfort the other children.

Meanwhile, time passed.

The morning sunrise turned blue and white, and darkened with purple and reds, before shifting to wondrous black with white sprinkling in like an afterthought.

People disappeared into their homes, and others looked for safety somewhere livelier. 

The commotion of cars faded off until it was only the occasional strum of a truck speeding past.

The city was never quiet, but silence had covered a 24-hr gas station with only one streetlamp working.

It was one o' clock.

Sasuke balanced himself on top of the antenna on the roof of the gas station. He shifted a bit closer off the edge, his black hoodie hiding the protruding edge of a knife. 

He had planned this for three weeks, every detail of his target's life recorded and scrutinized. Days of observation- of stalking- for this exact moment.

The man was simple. He had a wife and one child. The wife was a stay-at-home mother. The child was an active student. His routine was constant, barely deviated.

Monday to Thursday, he woke up for work. By the time he left, his daughter has already left for school, and his wife is still in bed. He drove to the police department and worked as an officer. He'll work from 7 to 3, drive home and have lunch with his family. They would make plans to go out. Then, he'll go back to work at 5 anyway because there was an emergency that they needed his help in. He'll come back around 11. Then sleep until it was time for work again. Saturdays, he would work from 6 to 2, spend time with his family, then go back to work from 5 to 12. Sunday was his day off, his day of rest.

Fridays, he worked from 5 to 11 and would go out with his coworkers to the bar before coming back from home at one-thirty.

He would stop at the gas station and buy a pack of donuts before he would go home.

That's how the man had given him a donut at the station.

Saying something about helping out the poor, traumatized boy that didn't know English.

The lady at the clinic said it was shock that made him froze up. That stopped his body from moving. That made him watch as someone who cared about who bleed out on the streets.

He could only remember pieces but he could still see the moment, seeing the man holding out a brown paper bag. Watching all the other officers slapping him on his back, congratulating him.

No one could see the blood in his fingernails.

He gritted his teeth and watched the man who was skipping excitedly, his white plastic bag bouncing with each step.

It was hanging at his neck, but he pulled the blue bandana up to his nose and hid his face in his hood.

The car engine quieted, and Sasuke fell off the edge.

He dropped without a sound, and a second later, landed in a crouch right beside the white car. His back was against the car, his head hidden away from the window screen. 

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

The officer opened the door, but the boy stood on top of the car, looking down on him.

The man sensed a presence, but there was nobody there when he turned his head to the car.

Then, something caught his eye, and he looked back to the gas station to see a hooded figure leaning against the wall.

Before he could call him out, the suspect ran off to the back of the gas station.

Hoping for a calm night, the officer tucked his radio close and followed the tracks.

But when he went to the back, there was no one in sight. He looked around, but nothing stood out. The back lot was empty, not a soul could be heard. Boxes littered the dirty ground and adorned the concrete street. The rusted pipes attached to the building squeaked from use. The light on the gas station flickered in and out before it gave up, and drenched the area in darkness. 

The officer grabbed a flashlight off his utility belt and walked towards the stack of boxes next to the dumpster.

He held his breath, his finger gripping the trigger on his gun, and threw his hand up to point his flashlight at ...

Nothing.

There was nothing there.

But right above the man, Sasuke hung off from the roof drain, both of his arms supporting his weight.

The drain creaked from his weight, and the officer looked up to see Sasuke drop on him.

They fell down, with the man hitting his back on the ground. Sasuke rolled off him and took out his knife. The man grunted in pain, before rushing up to his knees, and pulling out his gun.

_ "Stand down, and turn around!" _  He yelled, aiming the gun at him.

Sasuke stopped for a second.

Then, he whirled around and threw the knife. It sliced the officer's hand, causing him to drop the gun. 

Sasuke got a running start, put his hand on the ground, and used momentum to kick his foe's face.

The officer fell back down, groaning from the impact. 

Amid the noise, Sasuke picked up his knife.

He walked up to behind the officer, grabbed his head, and smashed it into the concrete.

Then, he raised the head, just to smash it again.

And again.

And again.

The pavement became an abstraction of red, black, and grey. 

Screams paired with the sound of a skull cracking marked the night.

Chunks of blood, and bone, and tissue squished and squelched onto the concrete.

The third time he did it, he slammed down hard and left an imprint on the street.

Did revenge feel like this?

He climbed on top of the officer and rested the knife on top of his neck.

"Why?!" He yelled, his grip on the knife shaking.

The officer looked at everywhere except for him. Blood spurted from his mouth and splashed onto Sasuke's hoodie.

His words were incoherent, rambles of discordant syllables.

This wasn't the way it was supposed to go.

What he wanted was right in his hands, yet it felt so........

_ "Say Something!" _

Pointless.

The officer's eyes focused on Sasuke. He lifted his head, the knife pressing into his skin. Blood dribbled from the slice. He made a huffing sound, his voice cracking like a cut transmission signal. 

He lifted his fingers, his hand trembling from the effort, and reached towards Sasuke.

Sasuke could feel his muscles freezing up, the powerlessness he had worked so hard to abandon, returning with a vengeance.

His bandana was ripped off, and his face was revealed to the world.

"Looks like ...." The man's voice broke off for a second, a chuckle bubbling up from his throat.

"I killed the wrong kid."

The chuckles erupted into snickers. His voice broke with blood and groans. But he didn't stop laughing.

It poured into his body, a rage that possessed him. Anger familiar and foreign. It overwhelmed him, swallowing him up.

Sasuke lifted the knife away from the man's neck.

Instead, he ran it through the man's mouth.

The laughter stopped, and gurgling replaced the noise.

Sasuke pressed hard until he could feel steel piercing concrete.

But he could still see the life in the man's eyes.

It wasn't enough.

He dragged the knife out, carving skin and tissue out.

Then, he slashed at his eyes. It squished and fluid flew out.

Yet, it wasn't enough.

He stabbed his heart.

Then, sliced his arms.

He severed every finger from his hand.

He gashed at his forehead, removing every patch of skin on it.

He slammed the knife into his stomach.

But all that flew out were some chunks of blood and muscle.

He wasn't killing a man anymore; he was desecrating a corpse.

He gripped the knife and dissevered the head. 

He already knew what will happen, but he still did it anyway.

And it wasn't enough.

Sasuke rose from the ground and ambled out of the back lot.

He looked around to see the open car door of the officer.

He stepped inside and sat in the driver's seat. The car was cold, and a cold breeze wafted inside. Darkened spots tarnished the grey leather car seats. The view of the road was enchanting, the light reflecting from markers matching the stars in the sky. Nature disappeared on the highway, but silence took over. He leaned his head back on the seat and stretched his legs when he felt something crackle.

He picked up the plastic bag of donuts.

He ignored the blood staining the bag and ate one.

Soft.

Another bite.

Dry.

Last bite.

Gone.

He walked out of the car, the bag swinging in his hands.

He wandered through the roads, the shadows becoming his refuge.

Time passed but he paid no attention. His mind was quiet, empty, and freed of all thoughts.

He roamed the city until he landed in front of a brown door.

He rang the doorbell.

Footsteps and muttering hid inside the house before the door opened.

Sister Mae came out and almost screamed, her hands covering up the noise at the last second.

She took another look, rubbing at her eyes, praying to God that it was just her imagination.

She reached out to touch Sasuke's shoulder, and her fingers caught on bloody lint.

In an instant, she ushered Sasuke in, watching over her shoulder for any spectators. When the coast was clear, she shut the door and steered the boy to the living room.

She didn't utter a word, afraid of what she'll say. Instead, she grabbed a gallon of bleach, a bucket, and a sponge. She wiped down the floors, the door, every footstep that he took was meticulously cleaned. She took off his shoes, the boy not even acknowledging her actions. Pinching them between her fingers, she threw them into the bucket. 

_ "You need to remove your clothes." _  Her voice wavered a bit.

He took off the hoodie, pulling it over his head. Then, the black shirt underneath. She wasted no haste in grabbing his wrist when it didn't look like he would stop. 

_ "I meant in the bathroom." _

He got up and walked off to the bathroom.

She took the clothing he removed, and dropped it into the bucket. She felt eyes on her and turned around to see some of the kids peeking out from the hallway. Running in a flash, she guided them back to their rooms, a " _ Don't say a word _ ." leaving her lips.

After she tucked in the last kid, she went to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

" _ Give me everything you were wearing, and I'll take care of it. Take a shower while you're in there too, and I'll hand you some clothes to wear by the time you're done. _ " She instructed.

The door opened, and he dropped his clothes onto her waiting hands.

She dumped them into the bucket and went outside with her cleaning supplies.

She poured the whole gallon into the bucket. Then, she mixed vinegar and bleach power. The smell burnt at her nostrils, so she went inside.

She walked by the rooms, calculating the boy's size when she stopped by a room.

Tyrel's room.

She hadn't been inside there for three weeks, the grief too much for her to bear.

But tonight, she opened the door and stepped inside.

The smell hit her first- then, the scene of her gifting him her keys, his odor clinging to her when he hugged her.

She marched through and reached for the closet. Unfolded shirts hung from the racks, and the hangers were strewn around as if they had fallen on the floor, and somebody decided to just push them inside and close the door.

She found a black shirt and underwear.

She almost left, but she turned her head to look behind, and a wisp of brown eyes looked back.

She ran out of the room, slamming the door.

Her feet skidded against the wooden tiles, but she kept running until she nearly collided against the bathroom door.

Her knocks were frantic, and she all but threw the clothes in there before heading to her room.

Tears built up in her eyes, and she couldn't open the door to her own room.

She slid down against the door, her lips running through the daily prayers she recited. Her voice broke with gasps and sobs, but she continued her prayer. The rosary in her hands grew wet in her grip, and her throat dried up. Soon, she ran out of words, and she mumbled hopes with her heart. 

Soon, the sun rose up. 

The house stirred with the kids waking up, showering, getting ready for school.

Her voice went silent, and she stood from her knees and went on with her duties.

The kids waved her off, on their way to school. Kiku rested in her arms, unresponsive as before.

She walked back to the living room to see Sasuke sitting on the couch, his elbows propped against his lap. His hands supporting his head.

She sighed, and took a seat on her armchair, turning on the TV for background noise.

Instead, the first thing that came up was a news anchor pointing at the word, 'Homicide'.

She leaned in, her eyes widening on hearing the story of how officer *******, who allegedly killed the teen Tyrel Walden, was murdered and brutalized behind a gas station. A gruesome scene, so violent it couldn't be shown on the news. The worker who found the officer was traumatized by the discovery. Detectives believe it was a crime of passion, a disgruntled vigilante taking action into his own hands. A man with enough strength to smash a skull into the pavem—.

_ "You took revenge." _  The nun stated, muting the volume.

Sasuke ignored her, his eyes fixated on the TV.

" _ Well, how does it feel? Did you get the satisfaction you were looking for?" _  Did it solve all your problems." She asked.

_ "Why do they keep doing that? _ " Sasuke asked instead, pointing at the TV.

_ "Doing What?" _

_ "Putting all his pictures up. Showing his family crying. It's like they want us to feel sorry for him."  _

She looked back at him, then leaned deeper into her chair when she realized he was serious.

_ "To everyone, this was a man doing his job, living his life, when a cruel murderer cut it short and disrespected his body." _

_ "But he wasn't. He killed—" _

_ "I know who he killed! I cleaned the blood from the car!" _  Her voice rose, cracking at the last words.

" _ I have spent the last three weeks trying to move on from his death. To tell myself it's the Lord's will, and he's in a happier place. I-I have tried, and I have failed at it. Now, I'll have to watch a family go through the same pain because you decided revenge was the only path to take." _

_ "I couldn't let him get away with it. He had to pay." _

" _ He more than paid. At least Tyrel's head was still attached to his body. Do you think that people will look at both of those victims of a murder, and think he was the monster?" _  She rocked Kiku, her stare unwavering.

Sasuke clenched his fists.  _ "I don't care what people think." _

_ "I know. You're selfish. Kids usually are, focused on their needs without caring about others. You felt injustice and wanted revenge. I saw it, but I let it go, thinking in time, your anger would fade. Even if it didn't, you were just a kid, I didn't think you could do any damage." _

She looked down on her rosary, the green bead catching light, and reflecting it back into the nun's eyes.

_ "I realize now you were raised differently. Almost trained. Killing with no remorse, reciting beliefs like they were drilled into you. It's like you're a soldier." _  She said, looking back to the television.

_ "An unhinged one." _  She added.

_ "I don't care," _  Sasuke repeated.

_ "Yes, but it still hurts, doesn't it? All that vengeance you went through, and nothing changed." _

Sasuke stood up.  _ "I don't regret killing him. You won't change my mind on that." _

The hardened look disappeared, and her eyes started to moisten.  _ "I'm not trying to be right. You're grieving, and have been for a long time. I can clean up the mess, give you a cover, and not tell the police. But I don't know how to save you from yourself." _

Sasuke flinched from her, her words crashing into him. He turned away, hiding his heaving chest. His lip trembled, and he couldn't keep his voice from breaking.

"I don't need your fucking pity."

He ran out the door, rubbing his eyes so hard the color of the streets swirled a bit. 

He bolted into an alley, the darkness a comforting abode to him.

He sat against the wall and heard a familiar crinkle.

He relaxed his fist to see the plastic bag of donuts hanging, rumpled.

Maybe he grabbed it on his way out.

So, he stayed there, eating donuts and listening to the sounds of the city.

He stayed there until the sun grew tired of shining.

His legs shook when he finally got up, aching from the lack of activity.

Sasuke went out of the alley and strolled around the city.

He wandered the streets, bright orange and dark blue mixing in the sky to create an imperfect gradient of colors. As he walked along the pavement, he passed by people.

He passed by the couple swinging their child between them, a squeal accompanying every upswing.

He passed by a trio of friends that held hands as they walked. One of them kept slipping into the road, but the friend in the middle pushed them closer, walking faster to make space for them.

He passed by a mother pushing a baby stroller. The baby started to wail, and the mother ran to his side, her voice becoming gentler to comfort him.

He passed by a construction worker, her chuckles amusing the partner walking beside her.

He passed by teen using his phone, the smile on his face illuminated by the blue of his text messages.

He passed by a group of kids running around the road holding water balloons, their faces smiling and wet.

He passed by as the world kept moving, kept living, building and connecting together, like the ants in a colony.

In such a big city, shouldn't it be impossible to feel lonely?

The energy vibrating from the millions of people beginning, continuing, and finishing their lives, each chapter of it intersecting and crossing with others to form a library of humans buzzing with uniqueness.

People laughing, people smiling, people yelling, people screaming, people pouting, people hugging, people running, people gasping, people winking - People existing.

So, didn't he exist? He was breathing just like them. He could do all the things they could do. 

But he didn't belong there.

Did he belong anywhere?

Did he exist? Was he a human being? 

Or was he just the embodiment of someone's will?

The culmination of an entire compound's vengeance?

What is there for him after that?

To return to the world of the living?

How do you join the rest of humanity after anger has burnt the life that runs through your veins? How do you stop the numbness that has made a home in your soul? 

His life will be empty.

No purpose.

No one.

The air turned frigid and threatened to bite at him.

He stopped at the corner, letting the city wash over him.

They looked at him. 

The people on the streets.

The people standing at the door of their apartments.

The people sitting down next to their windows.

The people gazing out through their car.

Their eyes met for a second, then the glance is over, and their lives resumed as normal. 

He was just something interesting in an interesting city.

He blended into the chaos, not worth a second look.

Was it worth it to demand their attention? 

No one knew him.

No one knew his name, his language, his favorite food, his favorite type of clothes, his favorite color, his favorite type of weapon, his pet peeve, his hopes, his dreams, his nightmares- No one cared about that.

He couldn't create the type of bonds that were forged in a battle for survival here.

He was part of the crowd, the same as everyone else.

He was somebody.

Nobody to no one.

People walked by him like he was a ghost clinging to a forgotten past.

A bus slowed to a stop in front of him, blocking his sight of the other street.

He glimpsed inside, hoping for something. Yet, no one even bothered to notice him. No accidental eye contact. No split-second glance. 

He wasn't even worth a side-eye.

He was alone again.

Just like before, it crawled up to him and covered him like a blanket of ice. It grew colder with every passerby, heavier with every smile shared, painful with every laughter filling the air.

Maybe he was just destined to be lonely.

The bus sped by, and one person was standing by the corner opposite of his.

They were alone, just like him.

Just like he always is.

Naruto gazed at Sasuke.

He took a step, not daring to lose eye contact, towards the street.

Sasuke stood watching him.

One step turned into another, then a stride, then a run. Then, he kept running, ignoring the honking cars, the swerving bikes, the angry pedestrians. His heart flew out of his chest, but he kept running. 

He didn't stop running until they were an inch apart.

Sasuke kept staring at the only person who was like him, and unlike him.

They were each other's cure to a painful plague.

An all-consuming loneliness that only touch can remedy.

Maybe just a hug, their warmth combining as they embraced.

Or just hand-holding. Their fingers could interlock and tell the other the little secrets hidden between the ridges and swirls of their prints.

Or just a slight swipe of hands. Or an accidental touch. Their hand swung too hard and landed on the other wrist. There was a bug on their shoulder. They seem a little sick, a backhand caressing the other's forehead. Anything to alleviate the pain from being utterly alone. Something to make them feel as if they were at least someone in the world that cared about them.

Instead, Naruto tucked his hands into his pockets and looked away.

Sasuke watched him, and walked back into the alley, looking back to see if Naruto was following.

And Naruto followed him.

They reached a dead end, and Sasuke sat down on the ground, his white shorts dirty with grey marks.

Naruto sat down as well, his mind full of static.

Sasuke kept quiet for a minute before the tension became unbearable.

"I'm sorry."

Naruto's mind broke a bit hearing those rare words from him.

"What?" He asked, incredulous.

"I'm sorry. You're not a freak. The truth is..." He paused at this, biting his lip.

"You're more powerful than me. We competed all the time but somewhere along the way, you went ahead of me. With Haku, Orochimaru, Gaara; you faced against my Itachi without a scratch. It was like you suddenly had all this power and I felt-I'm not getting stronger. I ... hated you for that. I wanted to see you at your worst, and I thought if I hurt you enough, it'll be back to normal, and It'll prove I can achieve my ambition."

"But now I know, my strength isn't dependent on yours. I shouldn't have put you down for a confidence boost. That's why I'm sorry." Sasuke picked at the ground, sifting dust with his shoes.

"Thanks," Naruto said, and the silence came back.

Naruto's face turned guilty, as he struggled to reveal his secret.

He couldn't help it; he looked at Sasuke and said: "I'm the vessel for the Nine-Tails Demon."

Once his mouth opened, he couldn't stop himself. "12 years ago, the fourth Hokage sealed him inside me when I was born. That's why all the villagers look at me like that. To them, I'm the demon that nearly destroyed the village in the past. But I'm not him. I'm not."

Sasuke's eyes widened, as he looked at Naruto with shock.

Naruto hoped with all his heart it wouldn't become worst.

But then Sasuke narrowed his eyes and propped a hand under his chin. 

"That's how you had that weird chakra fighting against them, and how you never run out of chakra. Also, your injuries healing even while you were poisoned. It explains a lot." Sasuke rationalized.

Naruto couldn't handle the suspense.

"Don't you care?!" His voice became desperate, catching Sasuke off-guard.

"Care about what?"

"That I have the Kyuubi inside me? Don't you hate me?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto with a strange expression.

"I don't hate you. Even with the chakra, you're still the same as you always been." He said.

Everything stopped inside Naruto with that. It's not like there are people that don't know about Kurama, but still... 

It was nice to have someone say it to him, with everything that has happened.

Naruto smiled so hard his face started to hurt.

"Thank you."

Sasuke's eyes softened, but he caught onto it and looked away, his bangs barely hiding the dash of red on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry for what I said too. When you're not an asshole, you're ...um...okay, I guess." The excitement he had sputtered down to a demure smile.

"Hn. Usurakontachi." Sasuke drawled.

"Teme! Wait, we need to team-up! I know a way to get back home." Naruto clapped his hands as thoughts raced inside his head.

He brought out the article from his bag.

"Look at this! It's our way out." Naruto shoved the paper into Sasuke's hands.

Sasuke skimmed through it, his hands shaking as he went halfway through the article.

"Sasuke? Something wrong with your hands?" Naruto glanced at the shivers.

Sasuke blocked his face with the newspaper before he made a sort of coughing sound. His hands steadied, and he returned the newspaper back to Naruto.

"I have the blueprints to the house. We can sneak in an hour before the event starts, find the instructions on how this machine will work in his lab, and from there, go home."

"How do you have the blueprints, and how do you know there's a lab? Have you been scoping the place out too?" Naruto asked.

"Not actively, and Orochimaru always have a lab." Sasuke stood up, shaking the dirt off his shorts.

Naruto sprung up like a spring. 

"You mean he's that billionaire, and he's here!? In this world? Why haven't you beat him up yet?"

Sasuke almost bit his lip, but he stopped himself.

"There were some...complications."

Naruto's face squeezed up.

"He's a bad guy, Sasuke. He killed the Third! He hurt Tsunade-Baa Chan! He invaded the village! You have to wipe the floor with him!" Naruto acted out each word he said.

Sasuke sighed, "Even if I beat him up, which I couldn't, where would that lead me? How would I be able to get him to talk? Or even tell the truth? These things take time." 

"Whatever. I'll make sure to whoop his ass right before we leave."

Sasuke adjusted his bag.

"I have to go, or the person I'm staying with will call the police. Same place, tomorrow." Sasuke sprinted away, blending into the night's shadows.

Naruto watched Sasuke leave, the red and white fan disappearing last.

"Liar," Naruto muttered to himself and ran off to wherever the night will take him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it. Also, imagine this: The chapter was even supposed to be longer than this. I cut it and moved stuff to the next chapter.
> 
> I think this might be as bad as I'll take the ratings so yeah.
> 
> I'm adding a tag for transgender characters, and that was what delayed me the most because I wanted to make a decent portrayal. If there's anything you think that seems offensive, I apologize in advance and you're welcome to message me so i'll try to correct it.
> 
> ... I have classes now but I pretty sure the next chapter won't take as long as this one. (AKA they are gonna be short.)
> 
> Prologue’s been updated, check it out if you’re interested. Tags have been updated fml
> 
> Also a quick short.
> 
> Naruto: teme, i just watched this show about people called Power Rangers™ and i
> 
> Sasuke: no
> 
> Naruto: what
> 
> Sasuke: i said no
> 
> Naruto: you don’t even know what i want to
> 
> Sasuke: i won’t associate myself with anyone calling themselves the hokage ranger
> 
> Naruto:
> 
> Naruto: wow
> 
> Naruto: i just wanted to be an orange power ranger but that’s way better


	6. Step Five: Damn Your Attachments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone got to make a choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is there a limit on how many characters on a chpter? Anyway Yes I cut this chapter, so no short skit.

 

Naruto was having a nice dream, one with him swimming in a tasty sea of ramen. He let himself get carried by the waves, opening his mouth to gulp down the broth.

But then, some of the broth fell into his eyes. He screamed from the pain and tried to wipe it off, but it caused him to choke on broth. He spat and gurgled, but it was too much, and he went under. It took some precious seconds, but Naruto sprang out from under the wave and collapsed on a lone noodle drifting in the ocean. 

Naruto stepped back onto the pink beach and swore off ramen swimming. They were some dancing scarecrows on the beach, swaying in the wind as their sewn-up smile grew wider. 

"Hey, let's go burn the scarecrows." Someone said.

Naruto wondered why he would burn a scarecrow, but ran to do it anyway.

Before he could grab a torch, he saw lightning strike a palm tree.

He turned around, and noticed a black raven twisting around on a noodle,

Naruto walked a bit closer to see the raven was using its beak to tear off its feathers. Each cool and dark feather was ripped from its body, a red patch of skin left to show. As Naruto watched it, he saw the biggest wave ever. It was enormous, and anyone out in the sea would be swallowed up.

Naruto jumped into the sea, and swam to the bird, colliding with menma pieces every few seconds.

He reached the raven and scooped it up. However, the bird didn't like this and directed his attacks towards Naruto instead. The raven tried to peck his eyes out, and he couldn't see where the beach was. 

With the wave approaching, Naruto hoped for the best, and threw the raven out to the shore, letting himself drown under the flood.

He felt his lungs fill up with fluid, and his panic consuming him.

As his heartbeat slowed, and his frantic attempts to save himself decrease, Naruto sank to the bottom of the sea.

He felt himself land on a valley of grey bells, his life fleeing from him.

He stared into cold, black, unforgiving eyes.

Sasuke leaned over Naruto, his face opposite of his.

His face drew nearer, Naruto powerless to watch until there was a wisp of space between them.

Naruto could see orange reflect onto Sasuke's skin, as Sasuke uttered the words, his lips brushing against Naruto's as he spoke.

"You should have let me go."

And Naruto jolted up awake, his head inches away from banging into the caretaker.

The man screamed, his face turning red, and Naruto jumped out of bed to avoid the clumsy hits the man sent out. He grabbed his jumpsuit, and ran to the bathroom, locking the door.

He heard the doorknob jiggle, but the man's footsteps eventually faded away.

Happy to avoid another one-sided fight that would scare the younger kids, Naruto took a long shower to prepare for his busy day.

This was it; the day he could finally return home.

There were some things he would miss, like TVs with funny shows, phones, sneakers, music players, and even New Yorkers.

But eight months was too long for him to be away from home.

He jumped out of the shower and hurried to put on his clothes.

He really needed to get back to the village. He was having all these weird thoughts and ideas that he shouldn't be thinking about. There was Monday when he started to paint his nails orange and blue. Then, on Thursday, he was doodling during his stakeout and he started to draw Konoha like it was New York. There weren't any ninjas or fighting, and everyone got along (Maybe not so much as New York).

Now there's today with that dream.

Everything was all dreamlike, and weird, as dreams should be. Except for the last part. He probably was just nervous.

Naruto shook his head, the action not quite erasing the red on his cheeks.

It didn't matter anyway, once he leaves, these weird habits he picked up will go away.

Naruto heard a little chuckle that was quickly muffled.

"Stupid Fox, you're not even pretending you weren't laughing, were you? What's so funny?" Naruto asked.

** "Maybe this place has become your new home, you're not the same person you were 8 months ago." **

"Yeah, I'm taller, smarter, and stronger, stop being a party-pooper"

The fox's response was covered up by his phone vibrating.

He mentally shushed the fox and answered the call.

"I'm going in early," Sasuke said right off the bat.

Naruto froze, the phone nearly slipping from his grip.

"What? Why? We've been planning this for days, and you said "Stick to the plan no matter what.", and now you want to go off by yourself? Bastard!" Naruto yelled, and scrambled up the window ledge.

"This isn't a spur of the moment. I got an invitation today." Sasuke explained.

Naruto ignored the screams outside when he broke the window. "So, that doesn't change anything." He pushed himself out the window, his struggles becoming more frantic when he heard a loud bang against the bathroom door.

"Why is there so much screaming on your end? Are you doing something stupid again?" Sasuke asked.

"No, and don't change the subject!" Naruto jumped off the balcony and landed onto the pavement. He looked around for any civilians, and seeing there were a lot on the streets, he bounced up to the roof of the next building anyway.

"The invitation says to come at 4:30."

"But the party starts at 5!" Naruto screamed into the phone.

"Don't you think I know? It might be a trap, but I don't think he knows that we're working together. It's better if I go so he doesn't catch on." His voice got lower.

"So he can get your hands on you? WE'RE doing this now. You can distract him, and then I'll come and beat his ass." 

"That's a horrible plan."

"It's better than the shit you did for the past 8 months."

"At least I didn't go crazy killing random people. Everything I did was for a purpose. Because of you, people think there's an irradiated fox monster in the city." He countered.

"Ughh! Why is it always like this with you? I get it, you're 'Sasuke Uchiha', so perfect, and could never do wrong!" Naruto shouted into the phone.

There was a pause on Sasuke's side, and the only thing that kept Naruto from throwing the phone was the fact that he was running on top of buildings at least two stories high.

"........You're right, I'm being condescending. Sorry." Sasuke finally said.

Naruto stopped his momentum mid-jump.

He fell on the roof, his body a few inches away from the edge.

"Did you just apologize?! Are you sure you haven't been brainwashed?" 

"I made mistakes, okay?"

Naruto remembered what Sasuke told him about Orochimaru a few nights ago. They were plotting out the blueprints on the rooftop of Naruto's apartment. Sasuke had explained how he was sick for the first few months. His body wasn't immune to all the diseases in this world. He probably would have died without Orochimaru's intervention. After that, Orochimaru had started training Sasuke, promising a way out as long as he listened to him, and did what he said. Everything he said. Sasuke's hand shook while he was saying that, the neat calligraphy shifting into chaotic scribbles. "It doesn't bother me." His lip quivered as he explained.

Naruto pushed down the bubble of rage he felt. "Okay. I'm sorry I brought it up in the first place. But you shouldn't face him alone. I'm on my way." Naruto got up and took a sharp turn, his jacket flying against the wind, and beating on his back.

"Fine. I'll wait." Sasuke hung up and sat down on marble.

It was unusually hot, and the streets were buzzing with guests from the upper class. They walked up the steps with elegance and grace, the paparazzi scrambling to take a picture. Overdressed in lace, leather, and silk, they struck a pose near the steps, a few commenting on the events taking place in Europe.

Sasuke hid on top of one of the marbled pillars, watching the commotion from afar. 

He brought out the invitation card in his pocket, flipping it over.

Orochimaru wanted to meet on the basement level of the mansion. The level isn't on the floor plans for the building, and it doesn't show up in the elevator. To address it that way, he must have suspected that he was digging into his work. If anything went wrong, there would be no one to help him.

He and Orochimaru would be completely alone.

He swallowed hard and took a picture of the invite, his fingers trembling so much he had to redo it a few times.

He sent the picture to Naruto, a "Can't wait. Going in." attached.

Sasuke climbed up to the rooftops, walking around until he found the air vent.

He felt his phone vibrate and pulled it out to see the single angry-face emoji Naruto had sent. He snorted and turned his phone off. It was now or never, and nothing could distract him if he wanted to make it out alive.

He pulled at the cover, unsure if Naruto has unscrewed it like he told him to.

The cover popped off, and Sasuke jumped into the vent. He fell inside, the vents becoming smaller and tighter. He put his hands up against the walls to stop his descent right before he could fall into the fan. 

Maneuvering his body, he slipped into the passage on the right. He landed against steel, the impact causing a loud thud. Remembering the directions from the blueprints he had memorized, he crawled around the air vent system, turning and slipping past tight spots to go to the bottom floor. As he kept crawling, he heard mutters and chatter from down below. Sasuke hastened his speed; the banquet was about to start.

Sasuke reached the air vent that led to the bottom floor and kicked it hard. It took two more attempts before the cover fell, the sound from the impact not echoing until a few seconds later. It was going to be a huge leap.

Sasuke dropped anyway, flipping in the air, to roll into a rough landing. He ignored the scratches and stretched his arms and legs. The pain from the landing ran up his arms, but he shook it off. He walked around, his steps slow and deliberate. 

This was a trap, no doubt about it. The only thing is what the trap was.

He kept exploring the empty room, filled up with boxes. With each step he took, filth from shedding and dried blood crackled underneath his feet. His eyes roamed the room until it spotted something interesting. 

A table. Specifically a manila folder on top of a table.

There was nothing else, not a sound in the empty room. There was nothing else to do but examine it. Sasuke brought out his kunai and approached the table, his breath quickening. He tensed up as he hovered over the table, alert to the slightest of movements. But the folder sat there, plain and fairly thick.

His hand floated out in the air as he reached for the folder, his hesitation apparent. He snatched it away and jumped back, his eyes darting. The papers rustled but nothing else appeared to attack him. 

With the room free of enemies, Sasuke loosened his grip on the folder and opened it.

"You shouldn't let your guard down so easily, someone might still be lurking by." A voice whispered into his ear.

Sasuke twisted around and jumped away, already flinging three shurikens at the shadow.

The man slipped around the weapons, side-stepping around them.

"Don't come near me!" Sasuke yelled, wielding his kunai.

"You're the one who came to me. Answering the invitation was optional, after all." He said, his face contorting to support a tight-lipped smile.

Sasuke aimed the kunai, his stance unchanging.

"You brought me here for a reason, didn't you? Tired of me sneaking into your stuff?" Sasuke managed an unsteady smirk, ignoring the drops of sweat running down his face.

"How could I be mad that you're developing your knowledge? I would never discourage research. In fact, that folder in your hands holds secrets that the Hidden Leaf spent years burying. Secrets about the night your family died."

Sasuke clenched his jaw. "Leave my family out of your mouth!" He threw the kunai at him, but he flicked it away with his hand.

"But isn't suspicious? I know you had a few doubts about what happened. How did a 13-year-old kill an entire compound of ninjas? How could a pacifist change into a blood-thirsty murderer in a single night? Don't you wonder?"

He shouldn't wonder. He should be kicking his ass. Returning back home to his mission. Killing the man who destroyed his life in a single night. The teen who cried tears as he held his bloodied sword. His brother.

Sasuke looked back to the folder, his eyes flickering from the document to the foe in front of him.

Against his better judgment, he skimmed the papers. Then skimming turned into actual reading. His stance dropped completely as he stared at each word brushed onto the page. flipped through pages, his movements agitated. He combed through the documents, his hands struggling to hold the paper. Finally, he threw the folder at him, the papers flying out in a frenzy.

"What the fuck is this?!" His face red as he screamed.

"Documented proof that the Hidden Leaf ordered Itachi Uchiha to carry out the massacre of the Uchiha clan," Orochimaru said with a smile.

Sasuke stepped back, his body trembling.

"You're lying... it isn't possible. Why would the village...?" He stammered out.

Orochimaru sauntered towards him, his smirk growing. "The Uchiha clan were angry at their mistreatment. They were regarded with suspicion, hatred. The clan elders came together and planned a coup-de-tat. Such a rebellion would throw the entire village in chaos, and your poor brother was caught in the middle of it as a loyal member of Konoha and the Uchiha clan. Forced to choose between his village and his clan, your brother made a choice few could stomach."

He walked closer until he was right in front of the quivering boy. With a voice as smooth as silk, he said: "He promised the Hokage to kill every Uchiha for the sake of peace in Konoha, as long as his only brother was spared."

Orochimaru picked up a sheet and handed it to Sasuke.

Sasuke held the sheet, and read the smudged signature of the Third Hokage.

All this time, he tortured himself, thinking up every single way he could have saved his parents. Coming home from the academy earlier, warning his father about Itachi's Mangekyo, training harder. But it didn't even matter.

Because he couldn't fight against an entire village.

Every single day, he trained and lived only to kill Itachi. To get revenge and let his family rest in peace. He went through the ninja academy, he learned all the textbooks, he recited the pledge of loyalty, he listened as they went on about the Will of Fire like they didn't disrespect it, he wore that fucking headband for a village that was never loyal to him.

They all watched him, watched him with smiles and laughter like they weren't cursing his family's name before. Like their happiness wasn't built on their blood.

The paper fluttered out of his hands, and he dropped to his knees. 

His breath quickened so fast that he couldn't catch it. His eyes latched shut, and he heaved hard. Sobs struggled to burst out, burning his chest. Frustration and rage suffocated him, and all he could do was slam his fist against the floor, tears falling onto the cracks on the concrete.

"I-I'll make them pay. Every single one of them." He stuttered out between breaths.

All of a sudden, the room trembled as if there was an explosion. The building shook back and forth, almost rocking. At the end of the tremors, the door slammed open, and Naruto ran out.

Naruto scanned his surroundings to see Sasuke breaking down while Orochimaru towered over him.

Red chakra erupted out of him, and he dashed within a second, his leg stretched out in the air.

"Get the fuck away from him, asshole!" He kicked, and Orochimaru evaded a direct hit, jumping back so he's only a few centimeters away. But the impact from the kick was strong enough to blow him away and throw him into the wall.

Naruto landed into a crouch in front of Sasuke, staring the man down as if he could kill with a look.

Orochimaru rose from the wreckage, his body already bruising. "Naruto-kun, I didn't expect you today. I might have worn more protections." He wiped the blood flowing from his lips.

"I'm gonna enjoy beating the shit outta you," Naruto growled, his two chakra tails bubbling like heated acid.

"If you try and kill me, you'll end up stuck in this dimension. I was only able to send my mind here, and not my physical strength. A fight between you and I will only result in you destroying the body of this human. Instead, why don't I offer you a way back without the violence?"

"Yeah right. Like there isn't a catch involved."

Orochimaru smiled, as he stepped into the shadows, gesturing for them to follow.

Naruto looked back to check on Sasuke, but he had already gotten up, his head bowed.

Naruto cooled down and receded the Nine-Tails chakra. By the time he did that, Sasuke had gone into the dark hallways that had appeared.

Naruto rushed after Sasuke, following him through the sinuous corridors. He skidded to a stop, narrowly avoiding a collision with Sasuke.

Now, they were in some sort of lab. Compared to the rest of the rooms, it sparkled a clean white. The lights were bright enough to blind, with Naruto having problems adjusting. People in white lab coats shuffled around, holding clipboards, miscellaneous devices, blood bags. Every few seconds, a scream would ring out, but none of the scientists reacted to it. Naruto couldn't believe where he was. He could see glimpses of 'patients' shuffling around, their complexion grey and dull. Something metallic caught his eye, and he looked up to see the gigantic machine that loomed over everyone.

"This what you saw in my blueprints. This world may not have chakra, but there are magic and stranger elements that our world could only dream of. Breaking the seal and finding a path back to our world wasn't difficult with the resources I procured." Orochimaru explained.

"Is that why you're so willing to let us leave? So that no one could stop you from hurting people in this world too? I won't let you get away with this!" Naruto yelled.

"I already have. I didn't need chakra to find a way to achieve immortality; this world had created it. No, I found ways to make it easier to achieve it. All I need is the Sharingan and not even the restraint of death would stop me from mastering every jutsu ever created." Orochimaru signaled to a group standing up in the balcony.

One of the scientists pulled at a lever. The white lab flickered between red and blue as sirens went off. Scientists shuffled around, and the machine facing everyone hummed with electricity. Naruto felt the hairs at the back of his neck raise. There was a buzz in the air, and everyone stopped moving. At that moment, The machine flared in a fit of voltaic purple. Energy droned around it, as the sphere of purple grew bigger. Finally, it encompassed the entire machine but stayed static. There was a second of silence before the room erupted in cheers.

"I didn't think it will work. The seams of this dimension must already be tearing... But if you didn't notice, that energy nullified the effects of the seal on you. You have enough to leave this world, return back to the village, and permanently remove your seal. Would you risk all that for a chance to apprehend me?" Orochimaru asked.

"I have to protect and serve the village, and that means defeating the likes of you." Naruto got into his fighting position.

"I don't think that will happen," Orochimaru remarked.

"Oh yeah? Who's gonna stop me? You?" Naruto shot a smug smile at the scientist.

Only to be kicked into the opposing wall.

He shook off the pains reverberating through his body, and flew out from the wall, looking for the culprit.

He turned around to see Sasuke facing him, his bangs hiding his face.

"Teme... what are you doing?"

"....Protecting the Hidden Leaf...Serving Konoha...." Sasuke muttered.

Naruto watched as Sasuke took out and flung a folder to him.

"Read this, and tell me if I should be loyal to the village." Sasuke challenged.

Naruto flipped through the pages, his eyes widening as he read each report.

"Did you get this from Orochimaru? There's no way any of this is true! The village wouldn't do this, Sasuke!" He shook his head, as his motions grew more distressed. 

"Those are official documents. They have the seal they used in Konoha...it's all real. Think about it, how is it that an entire ninja village couldn't catch one person? Why were all the Uchihas gathered together in the compound at the same time? You can't deny it!" Sasuke reasoned.

Naruto flipped to the back of the folder to see the official order. He held it up and traced the signature. The swirls, loops, and scribbles that Jiji had penned were one and the same.

"This signature... it's genuine. I-I can't believe it." Naruto tucked the paper back into the folder.

He turned back at Sasuke to see the tense shoulders and clenched fists. He could feel the rage radiate off him.

"Even if this happened, you can't let Orochimaru destroy the village!"

"I won't, I'll destroy it myself. Every single person that dared to smile on the land that my family was murdered on will die by my hands!"

Naruto recoiled, his words whipping against his soul.

"You can't! It won't change anything except you'll kill everyone that ever cared about you. You can't let yourself fall into evil." Naruto warned.

"How can you say they cared about me?! The only people that cared about me are dead. I had to watch them bleed out because Konoha thought killing us off will solve all their problems." Sasuke snapped his head up, his eyes were red with three tomoes swirling to life.

He ran up to Naruto, the latter unable to defend himself.

"I don't care about the cost, I'll make Konoha pay for their actions, and you can't stop me."

Sasuke swung his fist up, hitting Naruto straight in the chin, Naruto flew up into the ceiling and kept going further, until he finally erupted into the banquet hall, rubble, and debris following him.

He fell unto the broken pieces of brick and stone, every part of his body hurting.

"It was only a matter of time. This time, you can go all out since the seal won't drain my chakra."

"Sasuke...You really wanted to kill me..."

"It's time you stop relying on your bonds, focus on the mission!"

Naruto stood up, ignoring the screams, and cries from the attendees.

He reached in, feeling the unending mass of chakra flowing freely inside him.

This was a fight he was going to win, no matter what.

Meanwhile, Sasuke ran up the hole he made, dodging the falling pieces of rock. He leaped out and landed on a table, looking around to find Naruto.

In the corner of his eye, something yellow flashed, and Sasuke looked up.

Naruto stood on the ceiling, his golden blond hair flowing in the wind. His blue eyes darkened to a deep purple, and fangs poked out of the scowl he wore.

Down below on the center stage stood Sasuke, the darkness in his heart burning as hot as the red in his eyes.

"Sasuke, I won't let you betray the Hidden Leaf." He took out his kunai and aimed it at him.

Sasuke got into position, his face revealing the smirk of a madman. "Konoha will pay for their sins. I'll die before I let you stop me."

Naruto closed his eyes and gulped, the decision he made weighing down in his heart.

The guests stood mystified by both of them, especially the one standing on the ceiling. They brought out their phones, their cameras, their praises, their curses- No one could comprehend what was happening.

Amid all the voices - all of the chaos - Naruto dug through every memory he had of the village. The good, the bad, everything he saw. His home, be it broken. The home he swore to protect with his life on the line.

No matter the cost.

Sasuke's smirk burnt like a scar into his mind. How could a friend do something like this?

No, not a friend. He carried the will of the Hidden Leaf, and this time, he will uphold it.

Naruto's eyes opened to clear red. "Then die already!"

He jumped off, and the chandelier light reflecting against his headband blinded everyone.

"Tajuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" He yelled. 

The single figure in the air turned to thousands, squeezing everyone together.

The ballroom filled with screams, guests pushing against the multitude of orange.

Sasuke jumped down the table, throwing it against the clones. It knocked some down, but they ran for him undeterred. He flew into a flurry of punches and kicks. Each step he made to extinguish a clone.

He almost threw another punch when his arms got caught on something. Two clones. He grabbed on their collars and stuck them to his hand using chakra.

In their confusion, they loosened their grip, and he shook them off. Bending down into a crouch, he looked to see the army surrounding him. He used one hand to prop himself up and kicked against the group spinning. With enough speed picked up, he flipped himself upright.

He brought out a kunai when something white pushed against him, a guest scared for their life.

Ignoring that, he sent a kick out, only to fly to the ground. He turned to see an old lady with an angry scowl, her fists aiming at him.

But the Sharingan could read her like a book; her attack stance aligned exactly like Naruto's.

He kicked her, and she flew into a table, disappearing in smoke. People yelled and cried, everyone, running off towards the door. The panic created a mob, the elites, and Narutos combining into a rambunctious stampede. 

Sasuke was swamped inside the crowd, dodging punches coming from angry clones and disguised clones.

He sensed someone on his right, and turned around, his fist hovering close to a screaming civilian. 

A second later, something splashed in his eyes. The pain was unbearable like something poured acid on him. He rubbed at his eyes, opening them to see a waiter holding a tray like it was a shield.

Sasuke grunted and punched the man at the throat, dispelling him. He jumped onto the table, using his shirt to wipe the liquid off,

Then back-flips against the table to dodge another hit. 

Somehow, in his distracted state, all the clones had surrounded him.

With this, Sasuke changed strategies. He ran up the wall and onto the ceiling. All the clones watched his every move, some grabbing each other to throw at him. 

Before that could happen, Sasuke flew into hand signs, and yelled: "Goukayuu no Jutsu!"

He blew out a ball of fire at the air, hitting nothing. But the sprinklers sensed heat and activated. 

The room filled with water, with everyone getting wet.

The clones paused in their assault, but Sasuke wasn't done. He put his hand out in the sprinklers. Then, he built up lightning chakra.

Lightning crossed through water droplets, traveling close to about half a billion feet per second to electrocute everyone in contact.

The screams that filled the room was almost loud enough to break glass.

But it wasn't as loud as the sound of all the clones extinguishing simultaneously.

Sasuke dropped down, walking through the crowd of unconscious aristocrats, still shaking from the shock. He ignored the few that were barely standing, their legs wobbling with pain. His attention was on the lone figure who knelt down, groaning from the volts.

"Give up." Sasuke stood over him, his kunai touching his head.

Naruto let out another groan, struggling to lift up his head.

"I'll never give up. That's my nindo, ya'know?!" 

He headbutted Sasuke, then threw another punch, which was blocked on instinct.

The pair drew themselves into a fistfight. 

Sasuke threw his punches with poise, elegance. Every attack was calculated, outlined in preciseness and flexibility. His kicks went high, and his ego went higher.

Naruto ignored tactical skills in favor of packing a harder punch. His style was akin to a brawler who had too much to drink. Except Naruto had enough energy to pull off the crazy moves he attempted. 

Every deliberate punch was overpowered with a kick running on pure power.

Every punch fueled with strength was counted with a precise kick.

They pushed against each other and reached an impasse. 

Naruto felt wind chakra biting against his skin, slash marks crawling up his body. His chakra withdrew, and the Nine-Tails power was draining fast.

On the other side, Sasuke gripped his shoulder, his lightning chakra numbing it. Sparks flew out his body, and he could tell he was about to run out of chakra.

They looked at each other, knowing this battle will be their last against the other.

They both gripped their kunais, aiming at the other's heart.

Naruto's eyes returned to blue.

Sasuke's eyes returned to black.

They gazed into each other, and for the first time, an understanding was reached.

Sasuke's need for revenge.

Naruto's need for acceptance.

A hate that enveloped the mind, poisoning it with claims that blood will fill the hole that loss created.

A love that was too blind, becoming the martyr of a village while its crimes stood unstated.

"Naruto!"

"Sasuke!"

And they ran towards each other.

Their kunais led the way, like knights riding with their lances.

With each step, came the other's demise.

The distance closed, two bodies about to clash.

They were half a mile apart when they steadied their kunais.

They were half a yard apart when they both realized that one of them will die.

They were half a foot apart when Sasuke shifted his kunai a few centimeters to the left.

They were half an inch apart when Naruto dropped his completely.

Metal pierced flesh, cutting through muscles, and tendons.

Sasuke watched as he cut into Naruto's chest.

Naruto's body stopped, opposing forces canceling each other.

His face was stark with surprise, blood dripping out from his lips.

He looked down at the kunai poking out of his chest like someone had tried poking a rice ball too hard.

His legs gave up on him, and his body dropped fast, landing into Sasuke's arms.

He turned his head towards Sasuke to see the worry and sadness occupying his eyes.

At this, he started to giggle. "What's with that weird look on your face?"

"Why..." Sasuke's grip on him grew harder. "Why didn't you just kill me?"

Naruto gazed back up at him, his giggles quieting.

"I thought I could do it. Killing you to make sure the village is safe. But then I kept remembering all the time I spent with you. And all the time I spent without you. " Naruto's face turned pale, his words slower.

He shifted his body a bit, drawing himself closer to Sasuke's body for heat.

"You're my closest bond. I...I can't kill you."

"You moron...idiot...You have to protect the village from me. Isn't it your dream to be Hokage? You can't do that dead!"

Naruto's eyes focused on the ceiling, the bloodstain on his shirt expanding.

"How could I be Hokage if I can't save my friend?" He asked.

Naruto's eyes started to glaze but Sasuke kept his hand against his face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Friends don't do things like this. What do you even mean by a friend?" His voice turned urgent, as he looked around for something to stop the bleeding.

"I don't know. It's not like I had a lot of friends, dattebayo." Naruto said as he felt Sasuke zipped off his jacket, and tear his shirt.

'But..." He stretched his hand out, feeling the cold air stroke it before warmth came in the form of Sasuke's hand.

"But when I see you, hurting with all that pain and loneliness. I think- I think I hurt too. I feel your sadness and pain, and I just want to help you take it away. So you don't suffer." He clasped his hand, the blood on his lips flowing down to his chin.

Sasuke's eyes widened before he clutched at them in pain. His head felt like he had swum underwater. A second later, the pain went away, and he opened his eyes.

"Hey, your eyes are all funny now." Naruto watched the combined tomoes swirl to life.

"What?"

"Ne, Sasuke?" Naruto ignored the shock in Sasuke's eyes. "You can go back to that portal now before your memory's all gone. But can you promise me you won't kill everyone in the village? I know Jiji and the elders ordered Itachi but still? Please?" Naruto begged.

Sasuke looked back to the stairs leading down to the bottom floor.

He had the Mangekyo Sharingan.

He finally had the strength to kill Itachi and avenge his family.

But he wasn't killing Itachi anymore, right?

He was destroying the village. The village Itachi killed his clan to protect.

They forced Itachi's hand. They made him kill everyone.

No, they didn't. He agreed to what the Third Hokage said, and killed them.

He has to kill his brother, to get revenge?

Can he still kill his brother? Why is his brother defending the Hidden Leaf? Why doesn't he want revenge?

Why can't he have revenge? Why does everyone want him to let it go? Why can't he get justice for his parents' murder?

Why is everything so fucking complicated?

Sasuke fisted Naruto's jacket, tears escaping his shut eyes. 

"What am I supposed to do...with this pain inside me?" He cried, his face red with frustration.

Naruto watched Sasuke break down, his tears falling down and splashing against his cheek. Staring up at the one he called his rival, the one he secretly admired.

The kunai in his chest didn't hit his heart, but with the pain, he felt from seeing him, it might as well have.

"I ... sometimes I feel that pain. But even since I became friends with you, Sakura-Chan, Kakashi-Sensei, and everyone else, I don't feel it as much. I don't feel so ... empty."

The room turned silent, with the sounds of light breathing, and tears being stifled.

"You know, maybe we shoulda listened to the Sage. Just stayed here instead of trying to get home. Then, we wouldn't be fighting. But maybe, you and I will meet again in the next world? I wouldn't be the Kyuubi, and you wouldn't be a Uchiha. We would just be Naruto and Sasuke, ya'know?"

Sasuke rubbed at his eyes. "Yeah."

"I'm... I'm getting kinda sleepy. You should start leaving... before it... closes." Naruto's eyes started to blink fast like he was struggling to keep awake.

"Yeah." Sasuke's hand hovered over Naruto's head before he decided to lift it with his knee.

His hand held the other's head, yellow of strands of hair brushing against his fingers.

With his other hand, he slipped his fingers into the knot, carefully undoing the messy knot until the cloth was loose.

His hand lingering close to the blond, he lowered his head back unto his knee and dropped the headband.

Then, he undid his own, watching the scarred hitaite fall onto the floor.

He watched it for a second, his eyes swirling back to black.

"Huh?" As tired as he was, Naruto couldn't rationalize Sasuke's actions.

His confusion only deepened when Sasuke started to carry him bridal style.

"Eh? The portal's gonna close...You gotta go...won't remember." He slurred.

"Shut up, dimwit. I'm taking you to a doctor." Sasuke ran towards the window, shoulder checking the people who had started to recover from his shock.

"But...Konoha..."

Sasuke hesitated in his run, but he sped up and continued up the wall.

"I have to save my friend." 

Naruto thought that was a nice thought, and wanted to say 'Thank you'. But the ache in his chest starting to burn, and he felt too tired to even keep his eyes open. Instead, he curled up against Sasuke's chest and let his body drift into darkness.

"Don't go asleep, we're nearly..." Sasuke cracked the window open by overpowering on his chakra, the lightning nearly stunning him to unconsciousness. 

His body went numb, and he fell through, struggling to gain control. The drop was five stories, and by the fourth story, Sasuke's velocity ensured a painful death. But just as he was about to hit the floor, he felt the nerves in his legs move. Within a few seconds, he reoriented himself, and landed straight down on the floor, the impact seemingly absorbed.

He looked around to find a hospital but stepped on something.

It was the most disgusting creature he had ever seen, grey, and wrinkly, and rotting, and dead.

Sasuke heard a shrill cry, only to look up the air, and see a green monster in pants riding a giant centipede.

He felt something come close, and ducked, avoiding the flying ship thing that crashed into a car and exploded.

There was panic everywhere, but Sasuke spotted someone who was gaping at the creatures in shock.

_ "What's going on?" _  He yelled at the man over the commotion.

_ "It's the apocalypse...the aliens are taking over." _  The man took off his hat, watching the ugly creatures crawl into a building, and two seconds later, run out as the building explodes, debris flying into the air.

Sasuke watched the destruction in awe, and almost fell over from the rumble coming behind him. He turned around, and the hotel was crushed to pieces, the giant centipedes lying on top of the rubble.

"Fuck." Sasuke readjusted Naruto, trying to focus on where to find a hospital, and not on Naruto's complexion.

"Do you need help?"

He looked around and saw a lady with red hair, and a leather jumpsuit. Sasuke wondered if he should take her seriously until he saw her shoot something into an alien's eyes, grabbed its weapon, and sliced its head off.

"Shit, you weren't supposed to see that. Or hear that." She said, shifting around awkwardly when she realized she was near a kid.

"I don't care. He needs help." Sasuke showed Naruto to her.

The woman brushed off the disrespectful tone and looked at the kunai lodged into the child's body.

"We need to get him to a hospital quick, how did this happen?" She asked, looking around for a car.

"We were in the Georgeway hotel, and then I cam- no, I- I think there was a party. I don't know the rest." Sasuke said, alarmed. 

In fact, he couldn't remember how he got to New York in the first place.

"We'll sort details out as they come. I just found a ride." She gestured to Sasuke to follow and ran to the red pickup truck that laid abandoned on the road.

She kicked the window and stuck her hand inside to open the door. Sasuke maneuvered himself to jump inside the raised vehicle without shaking Naruto around. He laid him over the back seat, his head resting against his lap.

The woman bent down to hotwire the truck. "My name is Natasha. I know it might be scary with all the aliens around, but I'll make sure your friend get the help they need." The truck revved to life, and she wasted no time in accelerating.

She weaved around the cars abandoned and debris blocking the road. 

There was a sudden bang, and more of the aliens started to fall towards the truck.

"Be careful, there's gonna be some turbulence so make sure to hold on to them tight." Natasha grabbed the staff and winded down the window, firing off at enemies with one hand, and driving with another.

Sasuke struggled to keep him and Naruto from moving so much, especially when Natasha swerved the truck to avoid the alien troops.

A window on his side broke, and one of the aliens stuck their head inside, screaming with their teeth bared.

"You couldn't have stolen a smaller car?" Sasuke took out a kunai and stabbed the alien in the eye, before punching it out the window.

Natasha turned her head to gape at him. "Did you just kill that alien?" She asked.

_ "Black Widow, we need you down at the 11th." _  A voice buzzed from her radio.

"What, you have a 'no killing in the truck' rule? We need to go faster!" Sasuke said, uneasy about Naruto's shallow breaths.

_ "Handling a teenage crisis right now, I'll get to you in a second." _  She grunted into her comm. "I have to watch out for civilians, people are running out in the streets in this panic." She e

"So run them over. I can't lose him." Sasuke looked at her through the back view mirror.

Natasha resisted the urge to sigh. "You're making me very glad that I can't have kids." But she started to honk loudly, and stomp hard onto the gas pedal.

It took another wave of aliens, and subsequent complaining before they could get to the nearest hospital. 

Natasha drove up to the entrance, turning the truck so that Sasuke's side was facing the doors.

Sasuke didn't hesitate, flying into the hospital with Naruto's life hanging by a thread.

_ "You need to help him!" _  Sasuke almost threw Naruto onto the receptionist's desk. 

The lady took one look at him before dialing her phone. 

" _ I think he's one of the most serious conditions we had all day. We'll work hard to save him. _ " It only took a moment for people in blue clothes to run out from the hospital with a gurney, with someone trying to get Naruto from Sasuke. However, Sasuke backed away and turned his body, shielding Naruto from the strangers.

" _ It's okay, we just want to help him. _ " The lady said in a soothing voice.

With great reluctance, Sasuke let the nurses take Naruto from his arms.

They put him up on the gurney, and stuck a breathing mask to his face, before wheeling him off.

" _ Where are they taking him to? _ " Sasuke asked, frustration building up.

" _ ICU. He's lucky he got someone like you. If you had waited any longer... Well, anyways. He'll be okay, but we can't let you in there right now. _ " She said.

Sasuke let out a grunt and started to pace up and down.

" _ That's not going to help anyone. Here, fill out this patient form, and I'll make sure I have someone call whoever's taking care of you. There are more people injured with this invasion going on. _ " She handed Sasuke some documents and a clipboard before running off.

Sasuke sat down in one of the chairs in the lobby, lodged between a woman crying, and a man with two black eyes and an arm in a cast.

He looked down, the four pages form staring back. He couldn't focus on any of the documents, let alone fill it out. He put it to the side, filled with disgust from all the words. He rested his elbows on his knees, and his head on his hands, and waited in his usual sulking pose.

The hospital shook a bit, with screams filling the lobby from an alien flying towards the hospital, only to get caught by a man wearing an iron suit. But Sasuke didn't budge.

Sasuke still didn't move, as people rushed in, injuries ranging from minor to fatal.

The sky turned blue with a huge explosion ringing out, but Sasuke still didn't move from his spot.

The news turned on a few hours later, spreading the story of how The Avengers saved New York, and Sasuke still didn't move.

It only when the sky turned dark, the hospital buzzing with patients, that he moved from his spot to look at the nurse that approached him.

" _ Oh, were you the one that brought in the blond kid with the whisker scars in _ ?" He asked.

" _ Is he dead _ ?" Sasuke went straight to the point.

" _ What? No, he's completely stable. In fact, I think he's just sleeping- _ "

" _ I want to see him. _ " 

Sasuke stood up, grabbing the paper and handing it to the nurse.

" _ You only filled out the first page... _ " The nurse inspected the form.

" _ I put the phone number of my guardian on the line for Social Security Number. Let's go. _ " 

" _ Okay then, at least we have a name. Follow me, Sasuke. _ " The nurse walked through the corridors with Sasuke trudging behind.

After a few minutes of walking, they stopped at a door.

" _ Here is ..uh... Naruto's hospital room. Your friend healed up pretty fast for getting stabbed. Right now, try to be quiet so you won't disturb him- _ " The nurse watched as the boy ignored his warning to walk into the door, look at the patient's face, and leaned up close to him.

"If you don't wake up now, all the ramen will be gone." He whispered.

The boy flew up like he was shocked, his mouth drooling, and eyes wide as saucers.

"Where?! I'm so hungry, I could eat a house." Naruto turned his head, looking for his favorite dish, only to see Sasuke there.

" _ He needs food, and he doesn't know English. Can you take care of that and call my guardian? _ " Sasuke asked, explaining Naruto's weirdness.

The nurse nodded his head quietly, leaving the room with a dazed look on his face.

As soon as he left, Sasuke grabbed a chair, scooting close to Naruto.

"You!!!!!! There's no ramen around!" Naruto yelled.

"Welcome back to the land of the living. Do you remember anything?"

"Remember what?"

"Like how we ended up in New York, or how I know you in the first place?"

Naruto's face squeezed up, but he drew a blank. He knows he can only speak Japanese. He knows Zip and what happened. He knows that he's been friends with Sasuke for a long time.

But the home he had before New York was wiped from his mind, the people that existed gone as well.

"No, why can't I remember? Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Naruto screamed, prompting Sasuke to roll his eyes.

 "This is so weird. How can I forget 12 years like that? Maybe I bumped my head really hard? Oh, also, stabbed. Stabbed!! Why would anyone stab me, I didn't piss anyone off. Okay, I pissed like two gangs but they're kinda all dead. I don't remember how that happened either. Are you listening to me, Sasuke? Sasuke?"

Naruto looked back at Sasuke to see his eyes unfocused. He stared off towards the wall and yawned, the bags underneath his eyes contrasting with his face.

Naruto slid a pillow right underneath him and pushed Sasuke's head down onto the pillow. He went down without any resistance, and Naruto could hear his breathing even out. 

"I guess I can ask tomorrow." He took a corner of his blanket and covered Sasuke with it.

Still feeling wide awake, Naruto turned on the TV, and went to the news channel, watching how a group of 6 heroes warded off an alien invasion.


	7. Step Six: Withstand the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody knows for certain the circumstances that made Naruto and Sasuke go AWOL, but everyone's focused on the seal and how it changes everything. Meanwhile, Sakura and Hinata both seek strength from different sources.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Konoha, guys! Quick recap that no one asked for:
> 
> -Village got damaged from Naruto and Sasuke's fight.  
> -Big seal that's creepy.  
> -Hinata discovers the seal is collecting chakra from people, and oooohh her sister's is in there too.  
> -Someone tells Itachi that Sasuke is dead.
> 
> This chapter covers what happened in Konoha during the time (eight months) that Naruto and Sasuke were gone.
> 
> That's all I have to say for now so let's get on with the train wreck.

Every tree had its roots, a steady foundation for it to grow into a strong community of vibrant birds, busy caterpillars, and delicious leaves, all coexisting together. The Hidden Leaf was not one of the greatest ninja villages for no reason. The seeds that planted its creation were carefully crafted on nutritious soil, clear water, and blinding devotion.

Danzo has put several decades of care into the Hidden Leaf and he won't let a despised outcast and a measly loose end destroy it.

His stride was confident; the march of a natural-born leader none could compare to

As he reached the end of the hallways, he heard the screech of a sword withdrawn, coupled with the splashing of blood a few seconds later. Danzo stepped into the training room as blood and flesh decorated the walls.

And there he stood, one of the most feared men in the ninja world.

Danzo pushed his walking cane onto the dirt, feeling the hollow thud of bone.

”You came faster than I thought you would. But then again, is it really unexpected?”

Itachi stood silent, his black cloak draped against his shoulders. Those crimson eyes promised a painful death for the unfortunate victim that dared to look.

”Did you break our agreement?” Itachi asked, his voice haggard and rough.

Danzo rapped his cane against the ground. ”The events surrounding the disappearance of your brother was not caused by me. Nor is your brother dead.” Danzo answered.

Itachi watched the decrepit old man, turning those cryptic words around in his head. The tomoes in his eyes spun fast, a speed almost hypnotic.

Then, he closed his eyes and turned to disappear.

Seeing a golden opportunity, Danzo set out to finally make his play.

“That isn’t to say that your brother’s life is safe,” His voice was neutral like he was merely commenting on the weather.

Itachi stopped his movements, swiveling around o face the elder.

”Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki have both been captured and sealed by an unknown enemy. Right now, two of the legendary sennins are working to break the seal.” Danzo explained, walking up to one of the corpses laid out on the ground.

”But I have been alive far longer than them, and I can recognize a seal originating from the Sage of Six Paths. It’s near impossible to break, and it’s absorbing the chakra of all who live on this Earth.” He examined the body, ripping off fabric to reach the wound that led to his soldier’s downfall.

”This will destroy the ninja era as we know it. Without ninjas, the daimyos will find Konoha on the same level as the other villages and will refuse to fund us. War will break out as other countries will become more confident in their ability to defeat us. We will be taken over in the chaos, or worse, left in a perpetual state of fighting.” Danzo dug into the wound, blood splashing onto his fingers.

He stood up, a bloodied finger pointing at Itachi. “Are you prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the Hidden Leaf once again?” 

Itachi watched the liquid drip from the old man’s finger, staining the bloodied ground.

”What do you need me for?” He asked.

Danzo looked him in the eye, not an ounce of fear reflected.

”As I am now, I don’t have enough influence to make the changes needed to protect the village. First, I will become the Hokage. Then...” He turned away, walking away from the room.

”I will conquer the will of a god.”

 

* * *

 

When Hinata reached her compound, she could hear the gasps of the branch members, the fervent whispers of servants, and the uneasy grumbling of the members of the main branch. When something this big happens, it can't help but spread like wildfire.

Silence used to reign in the proud compound.

She stopped at the door, her hand hovering to slide it open. Whatever happens when she opens this door will change life as she knows it. Can she handle something like that?

Before she could open the door, someone ran to her, their eyes glistening with shock and sadness.

She can’t handle it.

She rushed past the person and raced to the hospital, her chest bursting with pleads and prayers.

Buildings and people blurred by her, their figures merely a landmark on which turn to make, which street to cross, and what wishes to make.

In what seems like hours, someone leads her to a hospital room, the name ‘H. Hyuuga’ written in scratchy letters on top of the door.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open to see her father with the same stolid posture.

Her sister laid on the bed, unmoving.

Hinata rushed to her side. “Father, what happened?” She asked.

He looked away from her, deciding the window was a much more interesting view. “She passed out in the middle of training. I have been told it was chakra exhaustion.” He explained, emotion absent from his voice.

Hinata exhaled a breathy laugh and hugged her sister tight.

Hanabi was safe and that was all that matters.

”However, the problem is that she’s not recovering from her exhaustion.” The man added.

”I thought it takes a week to recover from chakra exhaustion.” Hinata spun around, facing towards her father but still not looking him in the eye.

”Yes, but by now, her body should be retaining some chakra to replace the amount she lost. Yet, she hasn’t recuperated.” The man sighed, wrinkles creasing his forehead.

Hinata held her sister’s hand; it felt cold and small.

“Maybe we have to wait. She was sparring hard, she might have overworked herself.” Hinata said.

Just then, a brown hawk flew through the sky, shrieking loud for all to hear.

Her father turned away from the window, staring down at Hanabi.

”A meeting with the clan heads and the Hokage has been summoned. If the blast that destroyed the hospital is what is causing her condition, we may have to consider it a permanent disability.” He said before walking out the door.

Hinata held on to Hanabi's hand tighter, trying to warm it with her palms.

She knew exactly what the clan head was implying. Before now, it was obvious to everyone that Hinata wouldn’t be chosen as the heir to the Hyuuga clan as long as her sister was in the picture. She was much more talented, confident, and stronger than Hinata, despite being younger. Hinata had more or less accepted this, resolving herself to protect her sister and support her any way that she could.

But if Hanabi has permanently lost her chakra, then Hinata would have to be the heir.

And Hanabi would be given the caged bird seal. Her dear sister would be cursed to carry the seal that plagues the branch members of the clan. 

Hinata turned to see her sister let out a groan, before returning to a fitful sleep.

She swept brown locks off from Hanabi’s face, the future haunting her like an angry ghost.

 

* * *

 

 

History heralded the Uzumaki clan as the masters of fuinjustu, their abilities unrivaled. They could interpret a seal in seconds, unraveling it and creating a better version with nothing but the knowledge stored in their brains and the blot of ink staining their fingers.

Had they had the opportunity to see this seal, they definitely would have lost their shit.

Jiraiya threw aside another scroll detailing the different types of sealing mechanisms. It could have worked if the seal wasn’t changing shapes every second.

He stretched his back, reaching to open another scroll from the hundreds scattered over the floor when the door burst open.

”Jiraiya, you better had deciphered that seal by now or the world might just lose a sennin today.” Tsunade crossed her arms and glared down at her old teammate.

”This isn’t any regular seal, princess. Something like this must have taken centuries to perfect.” Jiraiya said, wishing it was a joke.

Yet, the old spymaster had tracked down scrolls and oral stories dating back to the beginning of time. 

“We don’t have centuries. In less than an hour, all the clan heads will be in my office demanding an explanation.” Tsunade looked over his room.

Jiraiya had decided to stay in the inn closest to the Hokage office. Unlike the usual manuscripts and ‘research’ that would lay around the room, ancient documents and priceless scrolls cluttered the floor.

”What are you going to say to them?” Jiraiya asked, putting down the scroll he was annotating.

Tsunade slumped down into an armchair. A long sigh accompanied the swish from her falling into the chair.

”Any mention of Naruto will blow the meeting apart. He can kiss goodbye to any minds he might have changed about him during the chunin exams.”

”But omitting it will leave you in trouble with the elders since Danzo already knows.” Jiraiya sat up.

“Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that an intruder snuck inside the village. This might be the one meeting I’ll show up to sober.”

Jiraiya took out a bottle of sake. “I'll take this just for you, hime.” He raised it to his lips, tipping the bottle over.

Tsunade rolled her eyes, annoyed at the man’s antics. After a few moments, she rose up from the chair.

”Do you have any idea who could have done this? This meeting would be a lot easier if the clans could be united against one known enemy.” 

Jiraiya brought out a rough sketch of the patterns he observed from the seal.

”Whoever did this must have been a master at fuinjutsu. The knowledge just from looking at this seal makes me think it must have been from a clan that passed this stuff down. Stealthy enough to sneak past the village’s defenses, and strong enough to enter right between a Chidori and a Rasengan and come out without a scratch.” He deduced.

”We also have to think about their targets. Why would anyone want to seal Naruto and Sasuke? How did they plan it so it would be right in the moment of a fight? Did they instigate it? What’s their goal?” Tsunade questioned.

”It might be because of power. Naruto is the jinchuruki of the Nine-Tails, and Sasuke is the last Uchiha. Those two were on the path of becoming this village’s strongest weapons.” Jiraiya said to her, writing it down on a stray scroll.

Tsunade stood up, taking the sake bottle. She drew it to her lips and relished the taste.

”If that’s the case, then we have a lot more problems than anticipated.” She slammed the bottle down and it scattered all over the floor.

“Hey! These are ancient scrolls!” Jiraiya scrambled over to grab them before the alcohol could stain.

”You better show your ass to this meeting or I’ll do worse.” Tsunade stomped off, slamming the door shut.

As much as her temper destroys everything it touches, Jiraiya could understand the pressure she was in.

A seal absorbing chakra like that could ultimately doom the village, and she happened to be the leader in charge.

That being said, Jiraiya has never been happier that he didn’t take up the hat.

 

* * *

 

There are clan meetings.

Then, there are verbal wrestling matches like the one happening in the Hokage’s office.

None of the elders had shown up yet, but all the clan heads had, very unhappy with the number of ninjas dropping like flies.

Tsunade started to wonder if the reason her necklace hadn’t killed Naruto was that it was building up energy to give him a fate worse than death.

 

"First there's a sudden explosion that nearly destroyed the hospital, and now our ninjas are suddenly suffering from chakra exhaustion!"

 

"The blast could have caused the disease affecting ninjas. Why? Because there were no mysterious cases of chakra exhaustion before the blast occurred."

 

"It might be too early to think that these events are connected-"

 

"It might be too early for you, but 1/3 of my clan is confined to bed-rest at the hospital. Or at least what remains of it."

 

"The village is being attacked left and right, and none of the clan heads are doing ANYTHING to stop it!"

 

"The pot calling the kettle black! I don't see you doing anything!"

 

"How dare you-"

 

The room fell silent at the sound of the Hokage splitting the table in half. They flew out of their seats to avoid the wood splinters soaring through the air.

"Silence! Am I in a room of clan leaders or unruly children?" She yelled, her usual controlled chakra fraying at the edge.

Everyone stayed silent, except for one CHouza Akimichi who had the balls to cough out "Hypocrite."

Eager to avoid a fight between a clan head and the Hokage, Shikaku Nara let out a loud sigh, leaning forward to face his Hokage.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say that we want to know exactly what is going on, Lord Fifth." He said.

Before she could answer, the door burst open and in walked Danzo Shimura, the elders Homura and Kotane following behind.

Kotane took one look at the broken table before sending Tsunade a vile scowl.

"A few minutes in and this meeting room already reflects the state of our village." She griped as she took a seat.

Tsunade gritted her teeth, holding back a biting comment as she watched everyone else return to their seats.

"What happened is that an unknown intruder has not only invaded us but attacked Naruto Uzumaki and Uchiha Sasuke, destroying part of the hospital and putting up a seal to drain ninjas of their chakra. Through outside sources, we have determined that this is afflicting other villages throughout the Earth." Danzo led off, igniting the room into a heated discussion.

Tsunade lost herself in thought trying to decipher Danzo's next move. It was obvious that he could have everything he wanted from this event. It wouldn't take any effort to turn the clans against Naruto and Sasuke, fulfilling Danzo's plan to keep the Uzumaki in lock and key, and to keep the Uchiha clan in their place. Yet, as he explained the explosion, he purposely kept their involvement to a minimal.

As Danzo spoke, his one eye glanced over to her, before returning to the attention of the clan heads.

Of course. This is blackmail. He keeps his mouth shut and he gets something in return from her.

Tsunade restrained herself from breaking the table again. Danzo knowing her weakness will bring nothing but trouble to her.

"Princess Tsunade, you haven't spoken for some time," Homura said, his eyes tracking her every moment.

Tsunade snapped out of her thoughts, biting her lips. "Our priority is breaking the seal. Jiraiya, How far along are you on it?" 

Jiraiya coughed, clearing his throat, bringing out more scrolls, he laid them out on the floor. 

"I had several ninjas surveyed the seal in the last 48 hours. Between the time the seal appeared, and up to an hour before now, the seal had shifted mechanisms about 600 times."

"Simply put, it will take years to decipher this seal. If we even discover a way to unseal it, the amount of chakra, stamina, and chakra control needed to unseal it will be impossible to get with the number of ninjas we have available." Jiraiya said.

The room erupted with yells and shouts of outrage. 

"Does anyone have any idea how many years we have before this seal wipes this village of all its chakra?" Inoichi Yamanaka asked.

Everyone turned their heads to Shikaku. The jonin commander scratched his beard, stress underlying his wrinkles.

"I'm just hearing about this like all of the other clan heads, but my guess, from the number of people losing their chakra, is that this seal works in an exponential rate. That is, as time goes by, the number of people that lose their chakra decrease. We probably have less than a decade to undo the seal before it becomes impossible." He answered.

"Why do we have to wait that long?! If we track down the intruder, we can force them to undo the seal. We're focusing on the wrong thing!" Tsume Inuzuka banged her fist on her knee.

"We have no trace of them. If it wasn't for the seal sitting out there, we would have no proof of their existence." Tsunade explained.

Tsume growled, baring her fangs.

"No person is untrackable! You expect me to believe that one single ninja was able to intrude our village without anyone laying eyes on them?" She complained.

"I agree with you, Tsume. If we put pool all of our resources together, it may be possible to find the intruder. However, it would be an unwise action. Why? Because the issue of the seal absorbing chakra is a higher priority." Shibi Aburame stated.

"So, we have to break the seal, find the intruder, rebuild the hospital, and still have enough ninjas to accept mission requests from the Daimyo? Anyone else wondering how we're supposed to do that if our manpower is decreasing?" Chouza asked, scratching his stomach.

Tsunade massaged her temple as she racked her brain for a solution. "If we stop accepting mission requests, our reputation and money flow will go down. Have all our available chunins and jonins without genin teams accept all the mission requests."

"We'll be leaving our village's defenses completely open!" Inoichi opposed.

"Even then if we do that, we still won't have enough people to research the seal." Shikaku pointed out.

"A bluff to fool the other villages into thinking Konoha is not as vulnerable as it seems. A move we should have seen coming from you, Lord Fifth." Shibi mentioned, a stray bug crawling up his chin.

Tsunade ignored the subtle dig, listening to the other opinions.

"We might have to consider raising the age of graduation for the academy," Kotane suggested.

Tsunade sent a harsh glare, her brown eyes hard with disapproval. "I refuse. Those types of measures are to be used during wartime. Even then, I will not fill the minds of our children with war at such a young age. Doesn't everyone remember the type of people those measures create?"

"Then will you let this village decline to nothing because you refuse to make hard decisions, Lord Fifth?" Homura asked, his voice shifting to a sneer as he addressed her.

Tsunade was seconds away from throwing the remains of the table at the elder when a voice spoke up.

"I agree with the Hokage." Danzo said, shocking everyone in the room including Tsunade.

"Danzo, what are you planning?" Kotane narrowed her eyes at him.

"Raising the age of graduation will not solve this problem. What we need now are ready soldiers, prepared to take any mission." Danzo said.

"So what plan do you have for us, oh great elder?" Tsume said, skeptical.

Danzo leaned in, his face contorting to create a smile.

"How many of you remember the organization, the Foundation?"

 

* * *

 

The meeting had to be moved into a separate room three different times. Surprisingly, none of which was caused by Tsunade.

 

* * *

 

Sakura looked over her medical sheet, a sigh leaving her lips. The doctor had recommended some probiotics to help strengthen her immune system. But probiotics didn't relieve the pain of aching muscles.

Last month, she had confronted the Hokage so she would accept her as an apprentice. She probably should have noticed the horrendous mood she was in before asking that. As soon as Sakura had asked that, she said yes and knocked her into the next building, citing it as 'strength training'.

But she didn't mind so much. After all, the Hokage must have been busy with all the changes happening in the village. 

She has been seeing these weird ninjas with masks patrolling the village. Unlike the ANBU, these ninjas had plain masks. Everyone that stayed in the village for enough time was unnerved by them. She had asked Kakashi-sensei about it, but he had said not to worry. When she brought it up to Ino in the middle of one of their spat, Ino had said that they were ninjas whose only purpose was to be a ninja. No emotions, no ambitions, their lives belonged completely to the village.

It was scary. Sakura couldn't imagine being alone, her only goal in life to serve.

The only people she could think were that alone were Naruto and Sasuke, and even they had other goals, people that they cared about.

Sakura slouched on the brown desk, her assignments on anatomy forgotten.

She missed both of them. Naruto's loudness and unwavering optimism. Sasuke's composure and dedication.

But she couldn't lose hope, everyone was working on undoing the seal. No matter what enemy may come out, she'll be strong enough to protect her team.

With renewed vigor, she bent over her work, carefully reading each word.

Only a minute had passed before she heard a knock on her door.

She was the only one at home, and most of the clan kids were busy being trained. (She had no idea, as usual). She walked to the door and opened it to reveal one Hinata Hyuuga, holding up so many scrolls in her arms that they were blocking her face from view.

"Hinata! What're you doing here? Wait, let me help with that, come in." Sakura grabbed some scrolls and pulled Hinata inside.

Despite the fact she was balancing a pile of scrolls that reached up to her neck, Hinata sat down gracefully, poise underlining her movements.

"Thank you, Sakura. I hope I'm not disturbing you." Hinata dropped the scrolls, her face sweaty and red.

"Are you okay, you look red. Can I get you some water?" Sakura asked. Hinata nodded, her breaths heavy with exhaustion.

When Sakura gave her a glass, Hinata drank it, swallowing fast, only years of manner preventing her from gulping it down.

"I heard from Ino that you were usually studying at this time. If you don't mind, I wanted to study here with you." Hinata said, after a while.

"Of course, but what're all these scrolls for? Sealing?" Sakura picked up one of the scrolls, examining it.

Hinata's face turned redder. "I think that I could help out with the seal. I have been trying to train myself on the different sealing types since there aren't any sealing masters except Jiraya-Sennin, and he's out of the village." 

Sakura smiled hard. "Yeah! We have to give it all we got."

Hinata's blushed harder at her outburst, turning her head so her bangs could hide her face.

"I heard that Lord Fifth accepted you as her apprentice." She mumbled. "It must be hard."

"I'm surprised that I'm still alive." Sakura fell unto the floor, faking exhaustion.

"Everyday I discover a new type of pain. But I can feel myself becoming stronger. I don't know who created that seal, but if they ever come back, they'll meet their match." She cracked her knuckles.

Hinata covered her mouth, hiding a laugh. 

"Hey, I heard that! I'm serious. You know what!" Sakura crawled over to Hinata, leaning in close.

"You and I'll save the Hidden Leaf together. You break the seal, and I beat up the idiot that dared to mess with us!" She proclaimed.

Hinata started heating up, the close contact not doing her any favors. She nudged Sakura away, her face's redder than the swirl adorning the Konoha jackets. 

"Sakura, please..." Her voice almost a whisper.

Sakura leaned back when she noticed Hinata. "Sorry. I got excited." She apologized.

Hinata shook her head. "No, I can understand. Ever since I've been learning Fuinjutsu, I finally felt...useful. It's something I'm getting better at, something my father can't dictate over. Also, I've been training with Kiba and Shino, and it's nice. I-I'm worth more than just my eyes." 

"Of course! Don't let anything put you down." Sakura said, picking up a textbook. "Come on, less talking, more studying." 

The two studied over their respective books, Sakura immersing herself in the content and Hinata reading silently. Soon, Ino snuck out from the clan training she was supposed to attend to challenge her rival. When she saw Sakura hanging out with Hinata, she declared it a girl's party. Studies forgotten, they spent the day bonding as teen girls do. They ate cheap snacks, painted their nails, and told stupid stories they heard throughout the village.

"And then, Bill-brow broke the whole door down! The owner was so mad, and she was like "Why did you break my door down??". Then, Billbrow was like "I didn't think I was that strong!" It was hilarious. Hokage-sama threw the whole team out of her office." Ino narrated, her voice changing to mimic the people she was mocking.

"Hey! You left out some of the things you did. After all, you're the one that didn't do any work and called the client a snot-filled cow when she refused to pay us." Sakura said, balancing her drink as she tried to swat Ino.

Ino leaned back to dodge the hit. "Was I supposed to let her get away with the fact that she wasted two hours of my precious time because her house is now missing a door? If the Hokage hadn't forced her to pay us, I would have gone into her head and make her do it myself." She complained.

Hinata looked out the window, noticing how dark the sky had become.

"Oh, I stayed out for too long! I'm sorry but I have to go." Hinata gathered up all her scrolls up.

"We can help out with those. Don't you have a bag somewhere, Billboard-Brow?" Ino asked Sakura, bending down to help pick up the documents.

Sakura’s face turned red as she stomped out the room, muttering something about a certain bossy pig.

She returned a few minutes later, dropping a bag right on Ino's head. Angry at the disrespect, Ino launched herself at Sakura. They tumbled onto the ground, screaming and fighting. As this went on, Hinata took all the scrolls to put them in the bag Ino had discarded.

"It was fun hanging out with you guys. Have a nice night." Hinata said, opening the door.

The two girls paused in their fight, Ino straddling Sakura with both of her fists raised. "Bye, Hinata!" They both yelled, returning back to their fight seconds later.

Hinata left Sakura's house, walking through the side roads. She reached the compound to hear a loud pounding.

Peeking in through the training doors, she heard her sister yell.

Inside the training room, Hanabi stood in her usual training attire, her hands resting upon her knees.

"Again!" She huffed, her face red.

"Maybe we should take a break." Hinata heard Ko, their attendant, suggest.

"I don't need a break." Hanabi said, stretching her arms as she got into position.

As Hinata leaned in to observe the fight, the door slammed right in her face.

She turned around to see the angry face of her father.

"If you have time to watch her, you have time to attend to your own practices." Her father said.

She bowed her head and hunched her shoulders. "Yes, father." Her voice almost muted.

She raised her head to see her father walk away. 

"It's a shame that the Hyuuga clan must settle for a such an heir." He remarked, his figure disappearing into the hallways.

Hinata turned her attention back to the fight and slid the door open a bit, watching as Ko battered her sister hit after hit. She fell to her knees, blood dripping from her lips.

"You should rest, my lady. Most of your chakra points are sealed." Ko said.

But Hanabi staggered, her legs shaking as she rose up.

"As long as I can stand, I will not rest." She got into position, her eyes burning. "Strike me down, but I won't give up." 

With that, Hinata closed the door and headed to her room, wondering how her sister is more like Naruto than she'll ever be.

 

* * *

 

The sun peeked its head out from the dreary blue sky, signaling the start of a new day. The civilians of the Hidden Leaf rose from their slumber, setting off to start on their daily routines.

But somewhere out in a dingy apartment, Kakashi laid awake on his bed, haunted by the people he had failed to save. 

It's been a while since he has been in the village, as for the past month, he has been completing missions nonstop. At first, Tsunade had not complained. But as time went on, he kept coming to her office in a 'worse condition'. Eventually, she got sick of him and limited him to three missions per month for 'psychological reasons'. 

He probably should have been more careful not to spill blood into her drink.

Kakashi sighed, trying to ignore the body lying next to him.

So this was what rock bottom looks like: staining his room with blood with every mission, drinking until he's black-out drunk, and bringing random strangers to his bed. 

He has somehow become worse than both of the sages in the village. 

He turned his head to look at the pictures lined up on his window. Minato-Sensei smiling with Rin, as he and Obito glared at each other. Everyone in that picture was dead except for him. The next picture was almost the same. Now he was the sensei, his hands stopping a fight about to break out between Naruto and Sasuke, with Sakura grinning and posing in the middle.

He should have never accepted a genin’s team. He wasn't ready for bonds, wasn't able to keep them.

Just then, he heard a knock on his door, two hesitant raps.

Well, at least that meant it wasn't Gai.

Kakashi stilled his body, keeping quiet in hopes that whoever it was at the door would leave him alone.

But then he heard a loud bang, his door being blown off the hinges and bouncing against the floor. 

With that, Kakashi sighed and grabbed the kunai under his pillow. Whoever is dumb enough to rob him was going to see their life flash before their eyes.

He shunshinned into the living room to see his student trying to put the door back into its frame.

"Oh, Kakashi-sensei, I don't know what happened to this do-Aeaeeeghghhh!" She yelled and threw the door at him.

Kakashi ducked to avoid the projectile, only to hear a crash. He turned his head to see the door burrowed into his wall sideways.

His landlord will be thrilled to see this.

"You're naked! It's indecent to stand in front of a girl with no clothes on!" Sakura screamed, covering her eyes.

Kakashi shunshinned back into his bedroom, but not before saying "Don't touch anything." 

He scanned his room to look for his pants and shirt when he heard the person in the bed stirring.

"What's going on?" He asked, sitting up on the bed.

"Nothing, go back to bed. Or even better, back to your home." Kakashi said as he put on his clothes.

"Kakashi-sensei, I heard voices so I'm coming in. Please don't be naked." Sakura opened his bedroom door to see both of them.

"Is that a guy? Why is he naked too?!" She screamed (Why is she so loud?).

"It looks like you’re really busy.” The man stood up, wrapping Kakashi’s blanket around himself. “Well, I'm just gonna..go.” He said as he picked up his clothes before hurrying out of the apartment, all while Kakashi and Sakura watched.

After a few minutes, Sakura spoke up. "Kakashi-sensei, were you... _having sex with a guy_?" She whispered-yelled.

"If I said no, would you believe me?"

"Kakashi-sensei!!" She yelped, her voice getting louder as Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"Same-sex relationships are banned in Konoha. Who's going to teach me if you get thrown in jail?" Sakura stomped her foot.

"I thought the Hokage had taken you up as her apprentice." Kakashi said, his eyes narrowing.

"Uh...she might have...um...terminated my apprenticeship indefinitely." Sakura bowed her head and shuffled her feet.

"It can’t be helped, the Hokage has a nasty temper. You lasted longer than I thought you would, though."

"It really wasn’t her fault she decided not to teach me if that makes sense. I enhanced my chakra coils so my chakra control would get better and she got angry because it landed me in the hospital."

Kakashi’s eye widened. It was an image he could see clearly, his last student wrapped in bandages, shriveling away in a hospital bed.

"You experimented on yourself?! Why would you do that?"

"It worked the last couple of times. If I knew this time would be the last straw, I would have gone bigger..."

"This isn't the first time you did it?"

"Ah, the first time, I was trying to help the hospital. They needed someone to test out a disease to make sure it wasn't related to the ninjas that had their chakra absorbed. I signed up, and it turned out to be unrelated but the doctors said I was now immune to the disease. So, I thought what if I could help out with another disease. I took some random disease off the stocks, came up with a cure, and injected the disease inside me to test it out."

"What?! Did it work??"

"Huh, no. But I survived and my body developed antibodies to fight it off. I got a little addicted to helping out the doctors like that, but Hokage-Sama kept warning me not to do it. I didn’t listen, and well that was that." 

Kakashi grabbed her shoulders and stared down at her. "Sakura, what you did was extremely dangerous. Not only could you have died, but there's no telling how the disease could have reacted in your body. You could have started an epidemic."

Sakura slouched even further.

"I'm disappointed in you. I thought you knew better." He said, frowning through his mask.

With those words, Sakura crumbled to pieces. She slumped down, sniffles coming from her hunched figure.

Wait, he went too far. He didn’t mean to make her cry.

"Hey, hey. It’s okay. As long as you don’t do it again, it’s fine." He tried to comfort her.

"Bu-But it’s not fine! I have to get stronger no matter what." She said, wiping away her tears.

Kakashi sighed, rubbing his temples. He took Sakura by her arm and led her into the kitchen.

Sitting her down into one of the chairs, and collapsing into another, he wondered how the hell is he supposed to fix this.

"Alright, based on all the experiments you have done, what are the benefits you have gotten?" Kakashi asked, wanting to get the scope of what she did to herself.

"My chakra coils are larger and more spread out, so now I have more chakra and chakra control, theoretically." She said as she glanced at the door stuck on the wall.

"I'm also immune to a lot of diseases. Most of the ones in the hospital actually. On the other side, if I ever donated blood, it will instantly kill whoever received it. In fact, look at this!" She smiled before taking out a kunai and slicing her arm. 

Kakashi watched as her blood dripped onto the table, turning brown and curdling up like spoiled milk.

"It's so cool! I have no idea how it happened, but I'm researching it." She said as she wiped the blood off her arm and started to heal it.

"That's..neat. Do your parents know about this?" Kakashi asked as he stared at the clotted blood.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Ugh. When they found out, my mom accused me of doing it to myself so I won't have to help her cut vegetables anymore. My dad was even worse. He was like "I never knew how toxic teenage girls are." She sighed as she remembered the horrible joke and her dad's chuckles as he said it.

"Okay, focusing on the experiments. You're stronger, and your blood is now poisonous." Kakashi summarized.

"Yeah. If my blood touches you, it'll corrode your skin and enter your bloodstream, poisoning it. Hehe, Ino is still bitter about me almost ruining her hair." Sakura added.

Kakashi smacked his palm against his forehead. How is it possible that no one had had this conversation with her yet?

"Sakura, listen. I know you want to become stronger so you'll be able to protect the ones you love. But nothing can replace strength gained from hard work. Toxic blood can be healed, eventually, and medical procedures can return your chakra coils back to normal but nothing can reverse strength gained from labor." He explained.

"But Kakashi-sensei, if you cut someone's arms off, then all that strength is gone."

"It still exists throughout their body. Their arms might be gone, but the rest of the body still is as strong."

"But you can starve them, and within a month, their body will use their fats and muscles for nutrients, and they'll be powerless."

Kakashi gritted his teeth. "The satisfaction you get from training and becoming stronger will never go away."

"Why can't I have both?"

With that, Kakashi threw his hands in the air, exhausted.

She was going to kill herself. Either by overdoing it on the medicine and catching the plague or just by training too hard and breaking her neck or something.

The kitchen became silent, as both of its occupants reflected on everything. It was only a few seconds of silence before Sakura decided to break it.

“You know,” She bundled up an inch of the table curtain between her fingers, twirling it around. "Usually it's you and Naruto going back and forth like this."

Kakashi exhaled a shaky breath. "I would have never let it go this long with him." 

Sakura chuckled a bit, before turning her attention to the dried blood on the table.

"Yeah...I wish they were here." She uttered as she poked at the stain with her kunai.

Kakashi looked at her face, the unshed tears she was trying to hold in coming out in more subtle ways. The bags underneath her eyes. The uneven fingernails that could only come from someone biting it constantly. Her bruised lips she chewed on. Even now, as she turned the kunai around, he could see the scratched in ‘N’ and ‘U’ lining the metal.

He hasn't been the best sensei, has he?

"I think you and I have been dealing with their absences in less than acceptable ways." He said.

"How do you cope with it?" She tucked the kunai away.

"Taking every possible mission I can, drinking my earnings away, spending my night with random guys." He admitted.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean you're not passionately in love with that guy? I thought you were risking imprisonment because you couldn't help but care for him!"

"I don't even know his name."

"I was going to go visit him and give him a gift for dating you."

"Please don't."

Sakura bounced up from her seat, an idea suddenly barging into her head.

"What if you get caught by the ANBU?"

Kakashi leaned back into his chair. "Then I get caught."

Sakura pouted at his response. "You just want to get out of training me." 

"Something tells me you'll find a way to bust me out of jail." 

"Of course! Those who abandon the rules are scum, but those who abandon their teammates are worst than scum!" She said with enthusiasm.

"That's not when I meant when I said that..."

"I support you, Kakashi-Sensei."

"Don't you have to go home now?"

"Gay rights!"

Kakashi stood up from his chair. "If I take you out to the training fields, will you stop talking?"

"Yes, sir! Are you going to be in the village for long?" 

"For as long as I have to be." He sighed, pushing her out and closing the door. 

The smear of blood still remained on the table, shifting from a dark brown into a diseased black.

 

* * *

 

Hinata coughed out blood, her hands clutching the dirt in the field.

"One more time, but add more scrolls." She said, turning to Tenten.

Tenten scratched one of her buns. "I don't know, Hinata. You might be overdoing it. After all, you barely reflected all the weapons from the last scroll."

Hinata stared at Tenten, her gaze steely and determined. Her stare didn't waver, even as Tenten started to sweat.

"Okay! I'll do it. Just stop looking at me like that. Not even Neji is as creepy." Tenten said, turning away from the Hyuuga. She unfurled another scroll and jumped into the air.

Unleashing the scroll, she sent hundreds of kunais into the air, all aiming for Hinata.

Hinata jumped out from her crouch and moved towards the metal storm. Lighting her palms up with chakra, she tapped kunais, hitting each one that flew near her. Her guard was up, dodging and striking kunais with the lightest touch possible. She 'tsked' when one cut across her cheek. A groan left her lips when she watched a kunai from the corner of her eye fly past her to clank against the ground.

She settled back onto the field, all the kunais lying around her.

Tenten clapped her hands. "Okay, Neji! It's your turn!" She yelled at the boy leaning on the training post.

Neji walked over to her and rotated around the field of kunais. His chakra picked the kunais up and launched them at the scroll Tenten held up, sealing them.

When he was done, Tenten opened the scroll up to see the marks that appeared.

”Let’s see...Out of the 600 kunais in here, you marked about 500 of them. That’s impressive, Hinata.” Tenten remarked, snapping the scroll shut.

”That’s not good enough. I need to be faster than that.” Hinata coughed out as she fell onto the grass.

”Don’t sell yourself short. You still got more than Bigshot over here.” Tenten pointed at Neji, who looked away in response.

”Hinata is now guaranteed as the heir of the Hyuuga clan. It is a requirement that she becomes better than me.” Neji commented, his eyes holding contempt.

He turned his head to say more, but Hinata had already gotten up.

”Hey! Where are you going?” Tenten yelled after her, but Hinata kept walking away.

Just as she left, Tenten saw Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino jump into the field.

"Hey Tenten, have you seen Hinata around? I can smell her around this field?" Kiba said, sniffing the air as Akamaru barked.

"We're looking for her? The reason why? Because she has skipped out on another team practice." Shino explained.

Tenten shook her head. "You just missed her, but I think you should probably talk to her later 'cause she's in a bad mood." 

"AUGH!" Kiba yelled, his face red with frustration. "She's been skipping practices for the last month. This is probably the tenth time!" 

"Actually, It's the fifteenth." Shino corrected.

"The fifteenth! All of us are worried and Kurenai-sensei sent us to get get her. At least before when she spent all her time stalking that loser, she still came to practice. Now we never see her." Kiba stomped.

"You mean the same loser that knocked you out?" Neji said.

"Hey! He knocked you out too!" Kiba defended.

"It seems that the state of the village has been affecting everyone's morale." Shino adjusted his sunglasses, looking out towards the village.

"That's because it's all those creepy ROOT ninjas. You know, the night before they started showing up, my mom was pissed as fuck. She went over to the training fields and tore it up like it was nothing. Everyone's been watching their backs. I think they're like the police or something." Kiba said, his voice dropping in volume.

"If you have time to discuss conspiracy theories, you have enough time to go back to your practice and get the training you definitely need." Neji interrupted, annoyed at the rowdy boy.

Kiba stepped closer to the Hyuuga, fists raised.

"How about I shove that stick up your ass a little further instead?" He snarled, Akamaru growling along.

Shino rose a hand and a huge wave of insects came between the boys. "Kiba, We should leave. The reason why? Because Kurenai-sensei said to find Hinata, not engage in pointless conflicts." He deadpanned.

Kiba huffed as he looked at all of them. With anger in his steps, he ran off, Akamaru following in tow.

Shino sighed, withdrawing his bugs. "I apologize for his behavior. He's more upset about Hinata than anything. If I'll be honest, she's been withdrawing and we haven't felt more like as a team as before. At this point, Hinata might as well have been sealed along with Sasuke and Naruto." With that, Shino disappeared in a storm of bugs.

"Okay, Bye!" Tenten waved at nothing, feeling awkward about the whole conversation. Neji sat down, crossed his legs, and started to meditate.

Tenten decided she should sharpen her swords and took a pile of them out from her scrolls. However, the previous conversation nagged at her, like she was missing something.

Interrupting Neji's meditation session, she voiced her concerns. ”Is it me or has Hinata changed? I mean apart from what Kiba and Shino said. She’s always been shy, but this seems more reserved. Kinda how you are or how Sasuke was.”

”Maybe she has finally accepted her fate.” Neji remarked.

The girl sighed, taking one of the swords out of the pile to sharpen.

”You're still going on with that? I thought Naruto beat it out of you?" She asked.

Neji made an expression of disdain but couldn't respond to what she said without it being a lie.

Tenten wiped the sweat off her brow as she turned the sword around. "Everything has been changing ever since that stupid seal appeared. Lee and Gai-Sensei can’t even attend team meetings because they’re too busy training ninjas in Taijutsu. I’m actually starting to miss them.”

Neji scoffed. ”I’m not.”

”Yeah, I got that.”

Neji looked towards the pale moon, beautiful dots missing from what should be a starry night.

”Something's going on from the shadows of this village.” He said.

”Isn’t there always some secrets? We do live in a ninja village.”

”No, this is something worse.”

”What can be worse than what we know is happening now? We’re clashing with the Sand Village, again, because they couldn’t pay their reparations. Everyone has been getting spied on by the weird emotionless ANBUs. The academy’s graduation age has been lowered. I even heard from Chouji that it was unanimous. I don’t think that has ever happened in history!” Tenten whispered low, her eyes glancing from side to side.

“What I'm focusing on is the seal. I don’t believe we have the full story on it.” Neji said.

”What do you mean?”

”You’re proficient in seals. Do you believe it is possible to seal a person inside a scroll?” 

Tenten stopped her sharpening, looking straight at Neji.

”Not unless it’s a dead body.”

The training field turned quiet, as Tenten and Neji reflected on their thoughts in silence.

Meanwhile, Hinata traveled along the trees scattered around her clan's land.

She reached the compound and threw the door open, only to see her sister staring at her with beady eyes.

”Fight me, now.” Hanabi demanded, already set in position.

Hinata tried to step-side her, only for Hanabi to block her path.

”Hanabi, I’m not in the mood for this.” She said, her arms aching from the previous training.

”I’m not something you can just put aside until you’re in the right mood! Fight me, or I’ll attack you.” Hanabi repeated again.

Hinata sighed. “Hanabi...”

”FIGHT ME!” Hanabi threw a gentle fist, something Hinata flung aside.

The young ninja sped through katas, unleashing hits that might have even incapacitated a branch member. 

But Hinata wasn’t the same girl all those months ago. She was more serious now.

The older sister countered the moves, each deflecting hit becoming easier as the younger sister lost herself to her rage.

”I. Won’t. Lose. To. You!” She yelled as she pounced again, aiming for Hinata’s chakra points.

Hinata, reaching a point of exhaustion so utter that her very soul was begging for something to satisfy it, decided to end this match.

She activated her Byakugan, whipping around her sister as she sealed most of her chakra points.

Hanabi fell onto the floor, coughing up liquid.

”Stay down, Hanabi. This fight is over.” She said.

Hanabi struggled to get up, her legs shaking before she collapsed once again.

”I won’t give up! Even if I have to crawl to defeat you, I won’t yield.”

Something tore at Hinata’s heart, scratching through the ice that had crawled in. She turned off her dojutsu, seeing her sister in a new light.

”Why? Why won’t you give up?” Her throat ached as she asked.

Hanabi punched the floor, bending her back upwards. Slowly, one foot slid into position, and then the other as well. She stumbled a step, but rose up, turning to face her sister. The moonlight illuminated the scratches and bruises that littered around her skin. Her eyes were red from fatigue, but they still burned with conviction.

“Because... I won’t-I won’t ever let myself become as weak as you. I can’t disappoint Father. No, I won't disappoint him.” She spat out, the blood flying from her lips coating her words.

Hinata looked at her sister. She saw all those months that Hanabi had spent, working hard even though everyone has told her that her goal was impossible. She saw the nights that Hanabi had fallen sleep in the training room. She saw the hours she bored into practicing her footwork, flinching as each step she cut into the sores underneath her feet.

But most of all, she saw a fragile pride that couldn’t handle a fall from grace.

Hinata turned towards the woods, walking away from her sister.

”Hanabi, you truly deserve to be the heir of the Hyuuga clan.” She said as she left.

She kept walking, through the sinuous trees, the uneven dirt path, and the lonely asphalt pavement.

Even when she was in so much pain that she thought her body will fall apart, she still kept walking.

She walked until she had walked to the edge of the village.

This was the point where she should return. Just go back to the compound and prepare for tomorrow when her sister would be given the Caged Bird Seal.

But she wouldn’t have to get that seal if she just left?

Maybe disappear?

Departed?

Just...not be here.

Hinata walked past the gate, just to see if she could.

There were no ANBU ninjas flying out from the shadows to apprehend her. No teammates screaming her name and demanding why she would harbor such treacherous thoughts. Her father wasn't walking up to her to punish her for almost destroying the reputation of the Hyuuga clan.

She was all alone.

So, she took another step.

And then a third step.

And then she sensed an enemy and shunshinned into the nearest tree.

She hadn’t seen or heard anything, but it was just one of those feelings she had. As if someone was breathing over her neck.

She could feel her heart speed up. The air getting thicker and warmer. The shadows around her growing darker, hiding something. The silence in the forest mocked her. No, she wasn't alone. 

”What’s a cute Hyuuga like you doing here?” A voice whispered over her ear.

She jumped out the tree, flipping around and landing upright.

Right in front of her were four ninjas, loyal to the Sound as their headbands indicated.

Loyal to Orochimaru as their purple belts and sinister aura indicated.

”Stand down, I won’t hesitate to alert the guards.” Hinata warned, activating her Byakugan.

As she watched them, she could see the irregular chakra flow of their bodies, some type of seal restricting it.

”Those guards are a fucking joke. We’ve been here for months and not one of them has spotted us. Though Jirobo with his fat ass almost got caught.” The girl said, her lips set into a smirk.

“At least I wasn't playing target practice with the last patrols.”

”I was bored! You don’t want my aim getting dull, do you?”

”Too bad it’s as dull as your fucking brain.”

”Shut up, you stupid bitch!”

”Call me a bitch one more time...”

The pale henchman with purple hair took a step forward, his companions growing silent to see what he'll do.

”We are the Sound Four, Orochimaru’s best soldiers. Our objective was to grab a certain Uchiha but since he decided to die, our boss has put us on standby.

The henchman with his hair in a ponytail scoffed. “Pfft. He told us not to return unless we got something just as good. He basically abandoned us.”

Hinata processed the information from the conversation.

Orochimaru must have wanted to kidnap Sasuke. 

“So, what should we do with you, huh? Little-“

”Why did Orochimaru want Sasuke?” Hinata interrupted, deactivating her eyes.

The girl laughed as the henchman with the ponytail sent her a deadly scowl.

”To train him. Our master wanted to pass down his skills, knowledge, and power to him.” He said.

Hinata has heard from the wiry gossips of her attendants, the old manuscripts hidden in the library, and the angry rants from Sakura that Orochimaru constantly experimented on others.

He must have tempted Sasuke with the allure of power, enough of it so he could complete whatever ambition he had.

Of everything she could do, it was the worst choice she could ever make.

She would be labeled a traitor by the village, hunted down by ANBU. 

Her teammates will be disappointed by her.

She would disgrace her family.

 

A disgrace couldn’t be the heir of the clan.

 

Hinata made up her mind. ”Then let me take his place instead. He wants dojutsus, right? Mine are just as good, if not better than the Sharingan.”

”Hmm... I don’t know about that...”

”Does it matter?! I’m sick of this fucking village! Take her with us, Lord Orochimaru will get some shitty eyes, and I'll get to fuck off from this bullshit.” The girl ranted, walking off.

Hinata walked slowly, noticing as the other two henchmen gathered behind her, their muscles tensing as if they were anticipating an attack. It didn’t matter anyway. She wasn’t planning to escape.

Gathering courage, she turned to the henchmen called Jirobo and asked, “How good is your master at sealing?”

He didn’t answer, but the one with the ponytail turned around, a smug smile curling onto his lips.

”No one is superior to Orochimaru-Sama in sealing. After all, he did develop the curse mark.” He showed off the seal, and Hinata observed it, making sure not to activate her eyes.

It looked simple, but Hinata could tell from the unorthodox markings that this seal was more advanced than any other seal she had ever seen apart from the one in the village. It looked like some type of weapon, and that was new to her: Seals that weren't just storage or explosives.

It cemented her decision; she couldn’t stay in the village any longer.

But as she walked away from the place she had called home, she wondered if her sister was still there, waiting for her to finish their match.

 

* * *

 

“Tsunade-shishou, you have to put me on this mission!” Sakura burst the doors of the hospital open, marching into the lounge area.

Tsunade slumped onto the table in the middle of the room, chugging down a bottle of sake.

”I can’t do that.”

“You have to! There aren't enough men to spare. I know I’ve messed up but this is something I can do. If we don’t hurry, Hinata will be too far away for us to rescue her.” Sakura explained.

Tsunade slammed her bottle down onto the desk, shaking the table and glass.

Just by instinct, Sakura stood down, but her eyes still burned hard with determination.

Tsunade sighed, wishing she was drunker.

” 'Messed up' is an understatement. You endangered the lives of everyone in the village multiple times due to your experiments.” She said.

”I know, but it wasn’t like it was completely reckless. I used the science and research needed to make the cure before I tested it out.”

”Remind me, when did you get a license to practice medicine?”

Sakura put her hands up. ”Okay, fine. I’m an unethical medic. Then, just put me in the team as a regular ninja. I’m strong enough to do that.”

”I told you I can’t do that.”

”Why not? I’m not weak!”

”No, as in I literally cannot do that. I’m not the Hokage anymore.”

Sakura blinked, taking in the words. Then, she let an uneasy smile sneak into her face because this is definitely not happening.

”I’m sorry, Shishou, but I think I misheard you.” Sakura said.

”No, you heard correctly. I’m not Hokage anymore. Well, it’s not official yet but it will be tomorrow morning.” Tsunade guzzled down her alcohol.

”But why?” Sakura looked at her mentor, wondering if the world is ending.

”Why? Look at that seal in the borderlands and ask me why again. All the clan heads have been pressured to deal with our ever-shrinking numbers.” Tsunade wiped the sake dripping onto her chin.

“Pressured? How will a new Hokage change anything?”

”It will make things worse. Of course, if anyone asks you, I didn't officially say that. But people are becoming more desperate and backed into a corner. So, I was asked to resign.”

”And you accepted?”

Tsunade stared up at her former pupil. “I got backed into a corner.”

Sakura nodded sadly. “With the seal, right?”

Sakura could understand why Tsunade had hidden the official story of what actually happened before the seal erupted. If word came out that Naruto and Sasuke caused the hospital explosion, the village would call for their death.

“Yeah. Get ready to usher in the new Hokage tomorrow, Lord Danzo.” Tsunade said sarcastically, waving the bottle around as if it was a microphone.

“Then I’ll ask him to put me on the Hinata rescue mission!”

”Don’t bother, there won’t be one.”

”What?! There has to be one. Hinata is not only a ninja of the Hidden Leaf but the heir of the Hyuuga Clan. She’s literally the one person that has to be rescued.” Sakura protested.

”From what Shizune told me about the meeting held a few minutes ago, all the clan heads agreed not to go after her. Including her father. It seems like there’s something going on that we’re not privy to.”

“I can’t believe this is happening.” Sakura slumped her shoulders, confused about the state of her village.

”I keep telling myself that it won’t get worse. But at least we’re not in a Fourth Ninja War yet.”

Sakura clenched her fist, her face turning red from anger.

”This isn’t fair! Everything that’s going on in the village is crazy and we can’t do anything about it! All the civilians are scared their children will be forced to become ninjas. I never see Ino or the others anymore because of all the clan meetings they have to attend. There are so many rules being put that we can’t even breathe in peace. There always someone watching us, waiting for us to make a mistake. In four months, Konoha has become unbearable to live in.” Sakura ranted.

Tsunade got up, dropping the bottle onto the table. She leaned over Sakura, a grimace on her face.

”You know what I hear? Just a brat complaining about her life. You think this is bad, I have three words for you: ‘The Bloody Mist.’”

Instead of cowering, Sakura stood up, tiptoeing to reach the neck of her Shishou.

”I’m not going to wait around until we become the new Bloody Mist for my complaints to become valid. I’ll do something about it. In fact....I‘ll become Hokage!” She declared.

Tsunade recoiled from her, startled by the words.

”What did you just say?” She asked, not sure if she’s hallucinating.

”I-I said that I’ll become Hokage. I won’t let the village change because of that stupid seal. If no one knows how to handle it, I’ll gladly take over. And I'll rescue Hinata from that snake too!” Sakura said, becoming surer of herself as she spoke.

Tsunade dropped into her seat, shock stark on her face.

”Is this what you really want to do?” She asked.

Sakura didn’t need to think twice.

”Yes. You believe in me, right?”

Tsunade huffed.

”If I believed in that orange-clad brat, then you’re not as far as a stretch.” She said.

Oh yeah, Being Hokage was Naruto’s dream. 

Well, she’ll give the hat up to him eventually. She has to make sure he sees a good example, after all.

“Yes!” Sakura exclaimed, excitement running inside her.

”Don’t be too excited. You still have these textbooks to study. If there's going to be another Hokage that'll be a medic, they have to be a good one.” Tsunade dug through her bag to pull out a pile of books that almost reached up to Sakura’s height.

Sakura looked at them with apprehension. Then the implication of what the doctor was saying hit her, and she twisted her neck to look at her shishou. ”Wait, you’re gonna mentor me again?”

”Yep. Since I won’t be as busy as before, I can focus on making sure you fully regret doing those experiments on yourself. I’m sure you won’t let me catch you doing them right?” Tsunade's gaze darkened as she cracked her knuckles.

Sakura stepped back and gulped. “Of course," she replied.

It just meant she had to be sneakier.

“But I thought that with you not being Hokage, you’ll leave the village,” Sakura said.

Tsunade looked out the window, a sigh escaping her lips.

”I thought so too. But as long as Naruto is still alive, I’ll dedicate myself to the village.”

Sakura leaned in close, her voice getting lower. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, how will you know if he isn’t alive anymore? Not that he's dying anytime soon, but if he does, how will you know?”

Tsunade pointed towards the window.

”You probably weren’t born when it happened. But I was a continent away, drunk off my ass when I saw the Nine-Tails attacked." Tsunade gazed at the dark blue sky, the sun just about to set.

"What does the Nine-Tails have to do with Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"Can't sat but you'll figure out soon enough. If not now, then someday when you're the one leading this village." Tsunade smirked.

Sakura pouted at her mentor's response but still shifted closer to hear her speak.

"I thought I had blacked out. After all, there was no way the sky could have been that dark," Tsunade continued.

"But it was like someone had grabbed all the stars in the sky and snuffed them out. It was so dark, I couldn’t see in front of my hands. I was, what, thousands of meters away from the village? But I could still feel the rage of that beast. The pure, unadulterated hatred that only a chakra so toxic could produce. There was a sense of hopelessness around me like we were just puny and tiny in front of these monsters.”

She tapped against the window.

”Until the village reaches that point of hopelessness, until I feel like there’s nothing left except to slide my kunai against my neck, I won’t abandon the Hidden Leaf.”

 

* * *

 

Hinata twirled a strand of her hair back behind her ear. She was starting to regret letting her grow so long as to reach the base of her neck.

It wasn’t so distracting though, she just needed to trim her bangs.

Hinata adjusted the grip of her brush, smearing ink over her wrist.

As she readied herself for another hour of calligraphy practice, she heard a knock on the door.

”Lord Orochimaru requests your presence.” A meek voice called out.

Hinata sighed, swirling the brush in her hand.

Last she heard, Orochimaru went on a mission to retrieve the ‘Uchiha’. She wasn’t worried, she knows he hasn’t broken the seal. But his obsession with the Sharingan has become more of an obsession with Sasuke.

It had reached the point that the man has begun to fantasize of him, telling everyone close to him lengthy descriptions of what, she guessed, he imagined his body was like.

It was things like this that made her a little homesick.

Hinata twirled the brush too fast and it tapped against her cheek, staining it with ink.

Well, it’s not like she ever cared so much about her appearance.

She got up and left the room, walking through the hallways etched into the caves. The walls were brown and filthy, lighted up by the torches attached to it. As she passed through, she could hear the screams and cries of souls cursed enough to fall into Orochimaru's hands. She clenched her fists and bit her cheek, walking faster to hear the wails fade off into the distance.

If only she were strong enough, she would save everyone.

She reached Orochimaru’s room and knocked on the grimy door.

”It’s me, Hinata.” She announced.

It took a few seconds, but she heard footsteps and the rattling of a knob.

”Hinata, come in. Orochimaru is waiting to talk to you.” Kabuto answered.

That was never a good sign.

She walked into the stench of rotting flesh and withheld her instinct to vomit.

The odor clawed at her eyes, and the sight of the Snake Sennin was only making things worse.

His skin was shedding off, like a snake would do, except the skin underneath was fleshy pink and throbbing. His veins popped out of his body, blood leaking out from some of them. His skin, which was usually a pasty white, had turned transparent, leaving his skeleton and (damaged) muscles in plain sight.

“Hinata-Chan, how have you been? I hope you have been keeping up with your studies.” He croaked. It was as if someone had put a kunai through his vocal cords.

Swallowing her pride, her fear, and every notion of morals she had, she bowed down with one knee on the floor.

”Of course, Lord Orochimaru.”

The man smiled, his teeth black and rotting as he nodded with approval.

”Good, good. Tell me, are you curious about what might have caused my injuries?” He asked.

No.

”If I may be granted that answer.” She lied.

”It all comes back to that seal. You have heard multiple times from me that I have bypassed the seal, but I never explained how. You see, the seal isn’t a seal.” He explained.

”I’m sorry but I don’t follow.”

”Of course, I expected that. My beautiful Sasuke would have understood it instantly. From your knowledge, a seal cannot contain a person unless they were dead.”

”Actually, I created a seal last week that did that.” Hinata interrupted.

”Really. I’ll have Kabuto verify that later. But back to the point, there couldn't have been anyone in the seal. If it wasn’t containing Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, then where did they go?”

Hinata struggled to understand what the man was saying. ”Are you suggesting that whoever created the seal used it as a distraction to kidnap them instead?”

Orochimaru sighed, cradling his face into his hands. When he rose his head back up, she could see the red veins coursing through the whites. ”It seems like your brain is your only disadvantage as usual. Before the seal existed, there was a blast resulting from a Chidori and a Rasengan. People say that Jiraiya contained the blast, but he only contained the aftershock. Something else did that.”

”The seal. But then, what’s was the ultimate goal of the person who created the seal? What did they want to accomplish?" Hinata speculated.

Orochimaru leaned in, his eyes red and shining.

”The power generated from that blast would have annihilated most of Konohagakure. Now, imagine that power concentrated, pressurized into a single point, a single crack.”

”A person wielding that power could control all the great ninja villages.”

”Yes, but your mind is too small. Such a power could  _warp_  space and time.”

Hinata drew back, the realization hitting her.

”You believe it broke the limits of this world’s dimensions and created a new one?”

”Not create, but allowed access to another. What was sealed was merely the entrance, and those two got thrown into it.”

Hinata only knew about dimensional theorem because Orochimaru had forced her to study his notes on it. She didn’t really believe it was true.

But everything he was saying could be backed up with evidence. All that power from the blast would have been a lot for the Toad Hermit to handle. And while the seal looked massive from the outside, it was the billions of kanji crammed into the middle that made it so daunting. The energy kept in a container that tiny would be unimaginable.

It could even open up a new world.

”When I said I bypassed the seal, I meant it in more of a literal sense. I combined different jutsus to create one that will allow my mind to swap places with whoever was on the other side.”

With that, Hinata gasped.

”You went inside the seal.”

Orochimaru glared at her. “I went inside the other dimension. Stupid girl.” 

“I was so close to having it all. That world holds treasures your little mind can’t begin to comprehend. The Sharingan, Immortality, the way to break the seal. I could have had it all!” He grunted.

Hinata turned her head and sensed something moving in the shadows. She fell into a crouch, narrowly missing the barrage of snakes the scientist sent towards her.

”But right when I can taste it, disaster struck and the body I inhabited got crushed under a falling building! That was what brought me back to this shriveling world! Every injury that the body I swapped with sustained, I did as well. The only reason I survived was because my original body had enough chakra to survive. But now?! All my work is gone!” He yelled, saliva splattering into the air.

He pointed a sickly finger at her.

”With your help, I’ll break the seal and return to that land of paradise. With the power of the Sharingan and the Byakugan on my side, nothing will be out of reach from me.” He cackled.

Bowing down, she replied in a demure voice. “Of course, Orochimaru-Sama.”

.

.

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.

 

It was three AM in the forest as Itachi leaned against a grey boulder.

Kisame was petting his sword, the unsightly beast purring against his hand.

There was a whir in the air and Hinata landed in their midst.

”Do you have any information?” Itachi asked, not looking up from inspecting his nails.

”Yes. In fact, we might just be a step closer to breaking the seal.” Hinata said.

She stepped close to Itachi, holding out the folder.

”Before I could give you this, I need to know where your allegiance lies. Do you serve the Hidden Leaf, the Akatsuki, or Danzo Shimura?” Hinata held the folder over Itachi’s hand.

Kisame perked up, looking towards the pair.

There wasn’t a single creature in the forest, all scared off by the malicious energy floating around.

Kisame’s smiled, teeth sharp and dangerous.

”After all these months of passing us information, you’re asking us this question now?” Kisame laughed.

”All I want...” Itachi said, looking at the dark sky, “is my brother to be alive and safe.” He turned towards her, his every moment burdened by weariness.

Hinata looked into black eyes, wondering for the thousandth time if she was making the right decision.

”If Orochimaru learns to break the seal, it will spell the end of our world.” She said, dropping the folder into his hand.

”However, that outcome will be the same if Danzo succeeds as well.” She finished.

Kisame yawned, opening his jaw wide.

”Then, we'll just stop both of them. It's why you have me staying in Akatsuki instead of the fun shit you've been holding out from me, eh, Itachi?” He said.

Itachi stared at the shark man for a few seconds, his eyes conveying what he wouldn't say. Then he turned his focus back to the folder.

Kisame saw this and went back to playing with his sword.

"Hm, I see what you're saying. Time will pass eventually." He murmured.

Itachi held the folder, about to skim through it when Hinata put her hand up.

”It might be better to read it somewhere private. Orochimaru's thoughts are included in there and it's ... uncomfortable. What you'll see in there you won't like.” She said.

Itachi decided to check it out anyway, skimming through the words. It had only taken a second for him to read the first page when his eyes flashed red, expelling killing intent out through the forest.

Kisame rose his eyebrows at the display, and Hinata grew slightly uneasy with the pressure.

"Are we going to kill him now?" Kisame stood up, his sword glinting in the pale moonlight as its scales hid its sneer.

Itachi shut the folder, breathing hard. "No, we'll stick to the plan." He grunted.

“There are only two goals...” He hid the folder into his cloak, turning towards Hinata.

”Rescue Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki...”

”... and protect the Seal, no matter the cost.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it! We won't be seeing Konoha for awhile (You can totally yell at me in the comments for that). Can you tell I edited instead of uploading it like a mother bird letting her young chick fall off a branch so it'll learn to fly by itself? No? okay! So next chapters will go back to Marvel Universe. More Marvel characters will be introduced. I will cry. Also, I actually updated the prologue this time. so check it out, or don't. Not a problem. Here's another short skit because I love being a dingdong.
> 
> Sakura: Making my way downtown, walking fast
> 
> Kakashi: *Sees her and run in the opposite direction*
> 
> Sakura: WalKING FASTER


	8. Step Seven: Embrace the Quietness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke and Naruto take out their trauma on others. Jessica regrets giving a fuck. And can someone give Matt a break?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gonna be a timeskip coming up soon (not that soon but it's coming maybe) but until then its a smooth ride, well as smooth as you can get with ninja kids. Also, none of you wanted to tell me that TVs existed in Konoha and I had to find that out via a reaction image on twitter? I'm just going to pretend I didn't see that because it just makes canon more confusing...

It's officially Marvel time so quick notes:

-Japanese is Italic now. Stretch out those eye muscles when you see Sasuke and Naruto in the same scene because Naruto still can't speak English!

-English is normal.

-Kurama is no longer bolded because Naruto just thinks he's a voice in his head and not a fox demon.

* * *

 

Jessica was having the worst time of her shitty life.

She must have made one quip too many at the bartender because he actually got a bouncer to throw her out this time.  

If she wasn't so shit-drunk, she might have pulled herself off from the pavement and stumbled home. 

But let's be honest, she's always this drunk.

Ever since there were (literal) aliens invaded New York, the whole city has been as depressing as her. At first glance, it's not noticeable. People rejoicing, praising the godsend heroes that defended the city. But Jessica's line of work involves the darker side of the city. Hopelessness and fear have been on the rise, everyone turning a nervous glance at anything out of the ordinary.

Sadly for her, she's anything but normal.

Jessica sits upright, ignoring her vibrating phone.

Today’s gonna be a sick day.

Before she could search through her bag for a bottle of whiskey she could have smuggled, something short trips over her legs.

The kid tumbled in the air before skidding to a stop, collapsing face-first into the pavement as a disgusting mess of orange.

Before she could ready herself for an argument, because kids love to argue, a man raced over to grab the kid by the collar of his jacket.

"There you are! I'm sick of your stupid shit. Skipping school, pranking neighbors, you're a fucking thorn in my side. Once I'm done with you, you'll wish you had just listened to me!" He shook the kid around in his grip.

Great, a manchild that can't handle the responsibility of raising a kid. It's not like her day wasn't bad enough.

The man smacked the kid over the head and started to pull him with an iron grip on his wrist. She could smell the stench of alcohol from him and see the anger in his eyes as he rose his fist to hit the kid again.

Fuck. Of all the vices to have, why was his child abuse?

Jessica stood up from her spot and grabbed his fist before it could collide with the boy.

"What the fuck! Let go!!" He pulled at her arm, but she threw his body against the brick wall.

"Listen dick-lips," Jessica pushed his wrist into the building, watching the mortar crack and crumble from the impact. "I have a whiskey bottle in my bag and I know the perfect asshole to shove it up in. If you ever lay a hand on the kid again, you'll be shitting out alcohol for the next three months."

The man whimpered under her grip, sweating harder than her landlord when she visits him. She let go, and the man took off, shrieking as he ran away from her.

She turned away and saw the kid staring at her.

Blond, orange tracksuit, weird marks on his face, maybe 12, too short, and with a starry look in those blue eyes.

"驚くばかり！あなたは超強力です！," He said with a smile big and wide.

Shit, she definitely didn't speak whatever language that was.

Awkward as ever, Jessica ignored him and used the opportunity of her standing up to walk back home.

As she moved through the crowd of people, she occasionally looked back to see if the kid was still following her.

Yep, right behind her.

She ran faster but she could hear the kid's footsteps quicken in response.

Never was she so happy to see the door to her apartment building. She closed the door behind her and turned around to see the kid right in front of her.

"Shit! Aw fuck, ugh it doesn't even matter, you don't understand me." Jessica complained, her eyes irritated by the bright neon jumpsuit.

The kid waved, and feeling obligated, she waved back.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" He jabbed his thumb into his chest.

So his name was Naruto?

She watched the brat stretch his hand out and wait patiently.

Guess he wants an introduction.

"Jessica Jones." She shook his hand, the shake lasting for what seems like hours before he pulls away.

"Jessica." He sounded the word out like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

“Jonessssssssss.” For some reason, he starts giggling as he drags her name out. 

Alright, she was laughed at for a lot of things when she was younger but her name wasn’t one of them. She really needs some alcohol. A random hookup would be nice too but she'll take whatever she can get.

She continued to walk towards the elevator, Naruto scrambling behind as he babbled words out at the speed of light.

It’s interesting how you notice that elevators don’t play music. And if they did, there wouldn't be any sound loud enough to drown out the incessant talking of one Naruto Uzumaki.

Feeling like someone had punched her in the head, She stumbled out of the elevator, watching the brat run circles around her.

The walk to her apartment door has never felt so fucking long. She was wondering if she should invest in a translator just to tell this kid to fuck off when she notices the door is slightly ajar.

She broke the lock today but she left the door wide open because a) no one cared about what she had, but b) no one would ever try to steal from her. This looked like someone was trying to prevent people from noticing anything was wrong. Definitely not her style.

Despite this kid making her wish she could douse her brain in vodka, she still didn't want him getting hurt. She pushed him behind her and shushed him, creeping close to the door. Naruto actually shut up, leaning in close to see who's behind the door.

Tired of the suspense, she slammed the door open and walked in to see Trish eating the burger she had just bought from the bar yesterday.

She felt relief at not having to defend a kid, but also annoyance. Lots of it.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice dropping to an accusatory tone.

Trish dropped the burger into her plate. "You didn't answer my calls. Who's that boy?" She asked, pointing to the kid in orange.

He walked up to her, scrutinizing every move she made, before snatching the burger on Trish's plate and eating what was going to be her lunch. It was such an outrageous move that it left her speechless.

"A kid that fell on me and now won't leave me alone. Only slightly worse than you.” Jessica slumped into her office chair, already taking the bottle off her desk.

Naruto swallowed the burger down and bounced around the room, his eyes widening as he grabbed several things that should not be grabbed off her desk. Watching him was making Jessica’s head hurt. No one should that much energy. Also, why hasn’t she kicked him out yet?

”I know how the routine works: me talking to you, and you putting up a brick wall.” Trish started.

”A very good routine.” Jessica interrupted, taking a huge swig.

”I’m not going to let you isolate yourself. You’re my sister, Jess. Even if you kick me out, I’ll just keep coming back. I’ll find a way to get you to let me in.” Trish faced Jessica, determination burning in her eyes.

Jessica clutched the bottle with a shaky hand and guzzled it down in one gulp.

”Why would I do that? So, you can solve my problems? My anger issues? My alcoholism? The fact that anytime I see a purple suit, I’m reduced to reciting street names?” 

There was a loud thud, as Naruto dropped the plate he was examining.

The two ladies turned to look at him, and he shot them a nervous smile, dusting off the broken porcelain pieces off his pants.

”Would you excuse me for a second?” Jessica said as she stood up and pushed Naruto out the door. She slammed the door and it got lodged inside the frame.

Jessica turned around to deal with her next problem just to see Naruto in front of her with an angry scowl on his face.

”I’m not imagining this shit up, right?” She gestured towards the brat that was now spurting out an angry stream of words, no doubt are curses, considering the way he was shaking his clenched fists at her.

”Yeah...That was fast.” Trish took a closer look at him.

“As you can see, I have my own problems to deal with. If you can get rid of him, maybe I’ll consider talking to you." Jessica said.

"I think he’s speaking Japanese. What a coincidence, I’ve been studying it for a while for my next interviewee on Trish Talk.”

Well, fuck.

Trish walked up to the boy, watching as he stomped around on the carpet.

” _ Hey, um... my name is Trish Walker. What’s yours?  _ ” Trish said slowly.

The stomping stopped, and Naruto whirled around to stare at her, before breaking out into a huge smile.

” _ Naruto Uzumaki! I’m gonna be the best at whatever job that hag has!  _ ” He yelled with fervor.

Trish stifled a laugh at the insult, but Jessica noticed.

”What did he say?” She asked.

”He said he’s going to become a professional at your job. He also called you a hag.” Trish laughed.

Jessica gave out a long sigh, searching her desk for some aspirin.

_ ”I’m sure you’ll find it easy. How come you’re tailing her around? I’m sure you have better things to do. _ ” Trish returned her attention to Naruto.

_ "Are you kidding? You should have seen in action It was so awesome! She was like ‘punch!’, ‘punch!’, ‘hit!', and she had this really scary voice. The caretaker guy was about to piss his pants. I wanna be just like her. Except I won’t be an asshole!"  _  Naruto punched and kicked the air as he mimicked Jessica.

_ ”Wait, caretaker?”  _  Trish clarified.

Naruto nodded hard, his hair whooshing back and forth.

" _ You live in a foster home?"  _ She asked.

_ "Yeah..."  _

Trish pinched her nose and sighed loudly.

_ "Okay, why don't you wait outside, and I'll drop you off at your home."  _  She finally said.

_ "No way! I want to stay with Ms. Jess. That caretaker guy just gonna make go to school. I hate school!"  _  Naruto whined.

Trish snorted at his words, but then she remembered she was supposed to be mature.

_ "Hey, let's be polite. She saved you, remember? Besides, Jess is a private investigator. She went to school to do that." _

Naruto shuffled his feet around.

_ "But school sucks. Everyone wants me to speak English but I don't even know what the teachers are saying." _

_ "Yeah, it's hard. But think about this, if you go through school and learn English, that's two languages you know. Jessica only knows one. You'll already be ahead of her in that aspect." _

_ "Yeah! You're right!" _

_ "So just give me a few seconds with Jess, and we'll head out." _

"Yosh!  _ I'll go to school and come back here everyday! I'll be the number one private investigator! I'm gonna text Sasuke right now!"  _ He hyped himself up before running straight into the door. 

The force from his collision made the door fall to the floor, Naruto still attached. He dropped with an "ouch", only to rebound a few seconds later and run into the hallway.

"Wow, you actually got him to leave," Jessica said, sarcasm dripping from each word.

"You attacked his foster parent, Jess?" Trish asked.

Jessica leaned against her desk. "What? the guy was hitting the kid. Despite what you think, I draw a line somewhere.”

"No wonder he was following you around, he must see you as some really messed-up angel."

"I don't care what he sees me as so as long as he's gone. You told him to leave, right?"

"Yeah, but just for today. He's coming back tomorrow because he wants to be, and I quote, 'The number one private investigator'." Trish chuckled, seeing Jessica's face squeeze.

"Looks like I might finally need two locks for this door." She pulled out her laptop and searched up locksmiths near her.

"Or maybe I can handle him when I'm not doing my talk show. Of course, I'll probably have to be here to get him." Trish said, looking down at her nails like they were so fucking amazing.

Jessica stared Trish down, hoping to intimidate her to leave her alone.

But Trish stared back just as hard, fear absent from her eyes.

"I told you I won't let go." Her voice even and steady.

Jessica felt herself blink first, and sighed, tired as fuck. Just one night of getting kicked out of a bar forced her to open up to not just one, but two people.

"I just want to tell you this from the bottom of my heart: you suck," Jessica said.

"We'll talk more tomorrow!" Trish ran out from the space where the door was supposed to be.

Jessica pulled out another bottle of wine and popped it open.

"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" She said to no one.

Stupid sisters and stupid orphans.

 

* * *

 

 

_ "So, how can you move so fast?" _  Trish asked, her eyes focused on the road.

_ "Hmm, those are my ninja skills you’re noticing. I've been training for years, ya'know!" _  Naruto yelled over the noise of honking.

_ "Ninja skills, huh? So what does this 'training' consist of?" _

_ "Running, kunai throwing, punching, push-ups, kicking..." _  Naruto rattled things off from the top of his head.

_ "So did you learn all of these things by yourself or did someone teach you?" _  Trish cut across someone’s path, earning her a few honks.

_ "Uh, I’m not sure. During 'The Incident', I got hurt really bad and lost most of my memories. The nice doctor said that it should come back soon, but that was a while ago!" _

_ "Oh, I'm sorry..." _

_ "I don't even know how I got here, ya'know? Like in New York! All I remember is bits and flashes but they don't really help me, dattebayo." _  Naruto fidgeted around.

Naruto looked out the window, gazing at the skyscrapers. The sudden urge to climb them seized him. To feel the wind race past him, as he jumps and falls through the sky.

_ "Sometimes...I don't know, I-I think I don't belong. Not just because I don't speak English, but because everyone's fine with this! Like I'm not the only one that hates school but I'm the only one not used to it. And if I skip, I can't hang out with the other kids that do because I'm not used to what they do either. And I can't just stay at home because it feels wrong too. Everything I do feels wrong, and it's only when I'm doing my ninja stuff that I feel okay. But it's like I'm the only ninja in this city and It feels-" _

Naruto looked out to the streets to see everyone walking along the pavement, peaceful and happy.

He felt like an outsider looking in.

_ "Lonely." _

It was only the sound of cars driving that filled the car, as Trish thought of something to say.

_ "But then I saw Ms. Jess, and I thought, this lady definitely has it worse than me. Then, she just destroyed a wall like it was nothing! She's mean and strong, and alone, and I don't know, I feel a lot happier when I hang out with her. It's like she reminds me of someone in my past... But anyway, she's so awesome when she's not kicking me out! How do you know her?" _  Naruto cheered up, running his mouth a mile a minute.

_ "Uh, she's my sister. Usually, people are...scared off by her personality." _

Naruto laughed a bit but forgot what he was about to say when he looked out the window.

_ "I think that's my apartment! Thank you for the ride, Ms. Trish!" _  With that, Naruto winded down the window and jumped out.

Trish stomped on the brakes, skidding the car to a stop.

She got out of the car to see Naruto climb the walls of the apartment and jump in through a broken window.

Maybe she bit off more than she can chew.

Meanwhile, Naruto jumped into the apartment through a window he definitely didn't break.

The lights clicked on, and Naruto turned around to see Sasuke sitting on top of his unconscious caretaker.

_ "Bastard! What are you doing with him? You're gonna get me kicked out!" _  Naruto yelled at Sasuke, but he didn't budge.

Sasuke glared at him.  _ "I came in looking for you and he had some words to say. So, while you were gone, we had a quick discussion." _

_ "I didn't know beating people up counted as a discussion." _

_ "Hn. If it makes you happy, it was quick.”  _ Sasuke jumped off the man and grabbed his backpack.  _ “Get ready moron, we're about to leave.” _

_ "You think you can just boss me around?! Why would I go anywhere with you?" _

_ "Because the police are useless, and you and I are the only ones that can solve this mystery." _  Sasuke took out a newspaper and flung it at Naruto.

Naruto caught it and unfurled the paper to see the headline, "The Devil of Hell's Kitchen Strikes Again!" in big, black lettering.

_ "We're going to catch the devil." _  Sasuke declared.

Hearing Sasuke's words (especially the 'we'), Naruto's smile stretched from cheek to cheek.

_ "Let's go, Teme!" _  Naruto grabbed a random bag and ran out from the room.

Sasuke smirked to himself, and followed him, muttering  _ "Usurakontachi." _

Naruto and Sasuke had thought this would have been a challenge.

Sure, running from adults that asked them why they were out at 12 am counted as a problem, but they were expecting more excitement.

Maybe a fight or two.

But instead, they were stuck chasing after the scent of regret, duty, and loneliness.

Or that’s how Naruto described it.

_ ”It’s like when you drop your last cup of ramen in the trash by accident and you’re the only one that can buy a new one.” _  Naruto’s face squeezed tight as he tried to describe the smell of the elusive devil.

His nostrils flared as he sniffed harder, but the only reward he got was a hard hit from a brown metallic bag.

”Augh!” Naruto rubbed at his red and swollen nose as the lady he was sniffing clutched her bag close to herself and stomped off.

_ ”Hn. Moron.” _  Sasuke remarked.

_ ”Shut up Bastard! You’re just jealous of my cool skills!” _  Naruto yelled at the boy.

_ ”Why would I be jealous that you can smell your stench better than I can?” _

Naruto took a second to sniff himself.  _ “I don’t smell! You smell!” _

Sasuke rose an eyebrow at the lame response.

_ ”Ugh! I hate you! Why didn’t you just tell the lady that I was smelling her to track the devil guy?” _  Naruto whined.

_ ”Did you just hear the words you said? No one is going to believe that.” _

_ ”You could have tried!” _

_ ”There wasn’t a point.” _

_ ”Damn you! When I learn English, I’ll make sure to tell everyone how much of a wuss you are.” _

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He could feel a nerve pulsing from his forehead.  _ “I’m not a wuss.” _

_ ”Yeah, you are. Everyone will know that little widdle Sasuke pees on his be— Woah!” _  Naruto exclaimed as Sasuke lifted him up by his collar.

_ ”I. Do. Not. Pee. On. My. Bed.” _  Sasuke gritted out.

It was a warm night and he had made the horrible mistake of letting Kiku sleep on his lap. He had fallen asleep as well and woke up to the grating sound of Naruto’s laughter and his camera clicking.

Naruto grinned, glad he was getting on the asshole’s nerves.  _ “Say that to the pictures on my phone.” _

Before Sasuke could show him what he really thought of those pictures, he heard a shout coming from the opposite direction.

Both boys looked to see a man in a plaid suit running towards them.

With that, Sasuke dropped Naruto and disappeared into the shadows.

Naruto yelped as he hit the floor, scrambling up to follow Sasuke as well.

He bounced off the walls, ricocheting until he leaps onto the rooftop of one of the buildings. 

There, Sasuke is watching him, his face arranged into a sharp glare.

There was nothing more annoying than that look. Naruto clenched his fists, itching to pummel the bastard.

_ ”We’re getting too many close calls. At this point, someone might start to actively look for us.” _  Sasuke pointed out.

All the anger drained away from Naruto as he took in Sasuke’s statement. If he got caught, then that caretaker guy would find out. If he finds out, he’ll get angry. That means Naruto would be the target of that anger.

Naruto knows he has enough strength to put the man in his place. Yet, asserting it won’t stop the man from kicking him out of the group house. He kinda liked it there with the neutral kids and interesting neighbors. But even better, it was closer to where Sasuke lived, so he won’t have to move away from him.

Because even though Sasuke is the definition of a bastard, he’s still Naruto’s best friend.

The scent of something hot hit Naruto's nose. It wasn't really possible to smell heat but Naruto could tell that whatever that thing was, it was hot. 

_ "Hey Teme! I got something! I just don't know how to describe it..." _  Naruto gestured into the air.

_ "Can you try?" _

Naruto huffed but sniffed the air a little harder.

_ "It was on that lady too. It's kinda like when you drop a bucket of spoiled milk on someone and you're running away really fast." _  Naruto thought back to the prank he pulled earlier that day.

_ "Moron. That's the smell of a moron." _  Sasuke deadpanned.

_ "Shut up! It's more than that, bastard. It's like when we spar in the park, and you start to do all those weird kicks, and I have to punch really fast to not get hit." _

_ "...Adrenaline." _

_ "No, it's not a train line." _

Sasuke shook his head.  _ "No, I mean you're smelling excitement." _

Naruto thought about the word, turning it around in his head. Excitement... 

_ "Yeah, that's it!" _

_ "The masked man must be in that direction then. Lead the way." _  Sasuke checked all his weapons.

It seems like they were about to face their biggest opponent yet.

Naruto bounced with excitement. He hopped to the edge of the roof, his body set as if he was about to leap

_ "Ready to fight the devil, Sasuke?" _  Naruto shot him a wicked smirk, with a bit of his fangs poking out.

Sasuke shuddered, his body reeling from the impact of unnamed emotions. But he didn't like that so he forced it back to whatever part of his brain it came from.

Sasuke pretended the smirk he gave Naruto didn't wobble a bit and dropped off the building, side by side with his friend.

They ran around the city, the only thing marking their presence was the blur of shadows that were there one minute and gone the next.

Naruto chased after the smell, his heart beating harder as the scent got stronger. Whoever was out there beating the shit out of criminals, they were going to meet him. Someone strong, powerful, and put fear in the hearts of all evildoers. Somebody that hated all the evil stuff that was happening in Hell's Kitchen that he took on the burden of ridding the city of crime. A hero that was just as restless as Naruto to fight.

The smell suddenly got stronger, like he was standing right in front of it. He skidded to a stop and looked around to find himself in a dark alley.

A second later, Sasuke dropped onto a streetlamp.

_ "The scent stops here! I don't see him here though!" _  Naruto yelled up to him.

As Naruto looked around the alley, searching for the elusive vigilante, Sasuke took a second to think. 

Naruto might have the best eyesight between both of them, but Sasuke used his brain more. There was one place that Naruto hadn't bothered to look. 

Sasuke dropped down from the streetlamp and flipped onto the garbage disposal right beside Naruto.

_ "Check in here." _  Sasuke jumped off the dumpster.

Naruto looked at Sasuke like he had grown two heads.  _ "Why would he be in the dumpster? And why do I have to check?!" _

_ "It's your nose that led us here. I'm not opening it." _  Sasuke curled his lip into a frown. This place smelled horrible.

_ "Fine! Dattebayo..." _  Naruto stomped to the dumpster and flipped it over. The container swirled into the air before it slammed into the ground, all of the filth and trash bag spilling onto the ground.

_ "Do you want us to get caught?!" _  Sasuke whispered-yelled at Naruto.

_ "It worked, didn't it? Oh, look!" _  Naruto ran to the side of the dumpster and dragged out a figure dressed in red armor. He flung the man on to the ground, the red horns gleaming in the moonlight.

Naruto and Sasuke stared at what was supposed to be the protector of Hell's Kitchen, unconscious and covered in garbage.

_ "Disgusting." _  Sasuke remarked and started to walk away.

_ "Wait, you're not gonna leave him on the streets like this, right?" _  Naruto yelled.

Sasuke lowered his eyebrows, his voice becoming caustic.  _ "This night has been a complete waste of time, I'm going home to wash off the junk you spilled on me when you flipped that dumpster." _

_ "You ass! What if he gets caught by the police? Or worse, whoever beat him up? We have to help him!" _   Naruto grabbed the man's arm and threw it onto his shoulder. As he did that, he held the man's waist and struggled to lift him up. He wasn't really heavy, it's just that this position was really awkward.

The vigilante let out a groan as Naruto put too much force on one side. He tried to loosen his grip but then he lost his balance and fell onto the ground with the man.

_ "Usurakontachi." _  Naruto heard Sasuke call out.

_ "Why don't you just go already?! I don't need your help, dattebayo!" _   Naruto took the man's arm and lifted him up again, only to feel the other side lightening.

Naruto turned his head to see Sasuke carry the other arm over his shoulder. 

_ "Hmph, don't look at me like that." _   Sasuke said.

Naruto didn't know what look he was giving the boy, but he knew he definitely shouldn't have been caught looking at him. He turned his head, ignoring the red that crawled onto his cheeks.

_ "I wasn't looking at your ugly face! Let's just take him to that abandoned building I showed you before." _   Naruto said.

It was a long, disgusting, revolting, and horrible walk to the building where Zip used to reside. For one thing, the apartment was miles away from where they found the vigilante. Another thing, Naruto whined all the way about how smelly the man was and how his legs were too long. They also had to avoid the police and any New Yorker that had even an ounce of curiosity (Many people would be curious about what looks like two kids carrying a bloody cosplayer at the dead of night). That means traveling through the rooftops- Again, hard to do when carrying a body. When they had reached the building, Sasuke had left Naruto to carry the man, and Naruto almost wished he had gone home and done his homework instead. 

Sasuke kicked the door open, watching as Naruto dragged himself and the man into the apartment and dropping the body onto the couch.

_ "Ahhh! Why didn't we just call 911 again?" _  Naruto slumped onto the ground, panting hard.

_ "Because then his identity would have been revealed and you didn't want that." _  Sasuke pointed out. Not that he would have called the cops either but that was because of personal reasons. Naruto just cared too much.

_ "Oh yeah, let's see the face underneath the mask!" _  Naruto jumped up, rubbing his hands together maniacally.

Sasuke went closer to the couch, wondering who the vigilante was.

Naruto gripped the edge of the mask, pausing for a second to think about the consequences of what he was about to do, then ripping it off anyway because he was about to find out who the masked hero was.

The helmet slid off, revealing the face of a bruised and unconscious man.

_ "Hey Sasuke, do you know who this man is?" _

_ "No." _

_ "Oh, okay then.” _   Naruto sat back down on the floor. This was all anticlimactic.

_ ”What should we do now?” _

_ "We should probably patch him up."  _  Sasuke looked at the man, who had started to groan more.

_ "Oh yeah... You don't know how to do that, do you?" _

_ "No." _

_ "Uhhhhhhh...What are we supposed to do?!" _   Naruto screamed as it suddenly hit him that he had a man that was maybe about to die right on the couch of his former friend's apartment / his and his best friend's hideout.

Sasuke crossed his arms as he watched Naruto panic. They wouldn't be having this problem if they had just left the man to die.

No, that sounded wrong...

Sasuke frowned at his thoughts and bent closer to the man to check out his wounds. He looked like someone had used him as their punching bag, so he wasn't sure how to deal with that. There was a large gash on his side that looked like it can get infected, and bruises that were red, black and yellow (are bruises usually yellow?). Some of them looked old so maybe this isn't his first time almost dying.

_ "We have to wake him up. It looks like he has been beaten up to this state before, so he might have some way to deal with these wounds." _   Sasuke concluded.

_ "Yosh! I'll punch him! That'll wake him up." _

_ "Idiot. Why would we punch someone who got beaten up?" _

_ "Then do you have any better idea?!" _

Sasuke's brows knitted up as he thought up ways to wake a person up from unconsciousness.

Before he could suggest anything, Naruto bounced upwards as an idea came to him.

_ "I got it! We just have to make him smell something strong enough. I saw it in a movie once." _   Naruto nodded his head, smiling as he thought about how smart he is.

Sasuke frowned.  _ "Movies aren't real." _

_ "Yeah, they are." _

_ "No, they aren't." _

_ "Yeah, that's why we have movie theaters, duh." _

Sasuke inhaled sharply, restraining the urge to strangle the idiot.

_ "Watch as I prove you wrong, Teme." _   Naruto ran into the closet, burrowing through the different items stashed in it. It took a minute before his head finally popped out, his face wide with a smile as he held a bottle. 

_ "Bleach! Strongest smelliest thing I own, ya' know?!" _   Naruto ran back to the couch but hesitated when he realized that pouring a bottle of bleach at the guy will probably won't be good.

Sasuke, annoyed as hell, snapped as he snatched the bottle from Naruto's bumbling hands.

_ "Hey! Wait, are you helping me? I thought you said it wouldn't work!" _

_ "Maybe this will end up killing him and I can finally go home and sleep." _   Sasuke ignored Naruto's cry of disapproval and opened the cover of the bleach container. As he ripped his shirt - He's gonna regret that in the morning - apart, he poured bleach on the torn fabric.

Then, he brought the cloth close to the man's face, hoping this wouldn't end up suffocating him because despite what he said, he really just wants to sleep off this disappointing night.

It takes a few seconds for the man to respond, his body twitching as he coughed blood off into the floor.

Sasuke dodged the man's sudden, clumsy fists and watched as he jumped off the couch, raising his hands up at Sasuke.

"Ar-Are you with the Japanese?" He yelled as he got into a fighting stance.

_ "Ne, Sasuke? What is he saying?" _  Naruto asked, creeping close and whispering into Sasuke's ear.

Sasuke scooted away from him, shaking off the unexpected heat from his breath.  _ "Some Japanese people beat him up, and now he thinks we're one of them." _  Sasuke said.

The vigilante's ear twitched as he heard Naruto's high-pitched and uncertain voice. He took a deep breath and immediately regretted that as he fell into the couch from the onslaught of pain he endured.

"Ugh... Guessing from the smell in the room, It seems like I was stuck in a garbage disposal again." He groaned as he crumpled up into the couch. "Were you guys dumpster diving?"

Sasuke frowned at that question and kicked the man where he got stabbed.

"Don't fall asleep, we need to help you." Sasuke gritted his teeth as he heard the man yell in pain.

_ "Teme! Stop torturing him." _  Naruto yelled out.

"Claire... Call Claire." The man moaned as he writhed around.

Sasuke drew closer to the man. "How?"

"My phone... somewhere." 

Sasuke turned towards Naruto.  _ "We need to find his phone." _

Happy to be of service, Naruto patted the man down until he felt something rectangular near his leg. He found a zipper and unzipped it to reveal a black phone.

_ "Uh, I can't read this." _  Naruto pouted as he turned the phone on and looked at all the English words.

Sasuke took the phone from him, typing and dialing some numbers.

Naruto clung onto Sasuke's shoulder as he watched him text something,

_ "Who you texting?" _

_ "Hopefully someone useful." _  Sasuke said as he shoved Naruto off him.

It erupted into a childish squabble, as Naruto and Sasuke clawed and punched each other, grappling on the floor.

It seems none of them are very good in a game of patience. 

* * *

 

 

"Hm, looks like he's coming around. I don't know why you thought making him inhale bleach was a good idea."

"Hn. Does that mean we can go now? I have school in the morning."

"I told you to go home hours ago but you refused."

"I need to know if he'll survive. You don't look like you can handle burying a body."

"What-"

Matt groans as his brain process the conversations around him. His body feels heavy and is aching all over. He licks his teeth to taste liquid metal and spits out coppery blood. As he shifts around, he could feel something thin and wiry piercing his side. 

Stitches, it looks like Claire came through.

His eyes flutter open to see the familiar sea of red. the shapes distorting and shifting around like flames.

"One of these days, I'm going to see your name light up on my phone and not answer." A woman's voice calls out.

He sits up to face the source of the voice. Claire sounds tired, her words running together like she's groggy. 

He must have woken her up.

He hears three heartbeats, two beating faster. He focuses on the source of the sound and finds what seems like two bodies (children). They both smell pungent, akin to a raccoon that found its next meal, but it is especially strong on the one on the left. That one has an underlying smell of something salty and sweet, like soup, and they fidget around like they can't control the energy bouncing inside them. The other one is calm, but the smell was more clinical (bleach) and their body is rigid either from discomfort or anger.

"With how all the newspaper articles have been praising your name, I thought you would be stronger." The body reveals its boyish voice, annoyed and bitter.

"Sorry, I didn't live up to your expectations. Who are you?" Matt asks, trying to ignore the sharp pain he felt near his chest.

The boy "hmphs" and walks off, leaving the other body to follow as they let out a stream of loud Japanese words. Another kid then, a very hyper one.

"Are you okay? What am I saying, of course you're not okay. You were found in a dumpster. Why do you keep doing this? God, why do I keep doing this?" Claire's voice crumples up, her breathing getting harsher.

"Because you can't help but be a good person, Claire." Matt responds.

He could hear her heartbeat calming down, maybe there's a smile quirking up on her tired face.

But all those thoughts are disrupted when he hear the salty kid spurts out some more Japanese.

"How can you fight if you're blind?" The angry boy asks, his voice pattering out at the end like he's unsure.

It can't be helped; he laughs as he hears the sound of Claire lecturing the boy on manners, and the boy arguing back. He really missed the nurse. Her warm voice, her soft but skilled touches. Someone he could have had if not for the burning desire he had to fight no matter what.

He was burdened with a duty, and not even the possibility of love could convince him to abandon it.

"Are you one of them?" He asks, hoping that it wouldn't lead to a fight because he can't defend Claire in his condition.

"And if I was?" he hears the boy ask, his heartbeat calm like he's discussing the weather. Matt knows that he looks like shit. He was beaten up and dumped like yesterday's trash. There was some blood spitting out as he spoke. Yet, this wasn't bravado; this boy isn't afraid at all.

And neither is the other one. He can hear the heartbeat accelerate as they turned their head to face him. Not as fast as one would who was scared but something else, the quiet rustles of a jacket as the kid creeps closer, the hitched breath like they're waiting for something to happen. This is curiosity.

"Who are you?' Matt wonders aloud.

Matt hears the rude one translate to the other kid in a stilted tone. Without warning, they bounce close to him, and gestures in the air as they scream "Naruto Uzumaki!"

Yep, they definitely aren't afraid of him.

The other boy makes a clicking noise and shakes his head, his hair swishing in the air. "Sasuke Uchiha. You muttered the nurse's name while you were out and we called her. We wanted to unmask you but I don't know who you are and I don't particularly care anymore." He shifts as if he's crossing his arms.

Unmask?

Matt reaches up to his face to see that his helmet is gone. Before he utters a word, he feels a hand grip his shoulder and a helmet put into his hand.

"You can't tell anyone who I am." Matt commands as he put on his helmet.

He could hear Sasuke stiffen up and he already knows he made the other upset. 

"I don't care about your identity." Sasuke grunts through a clenched jaw. 

"Matt, whoever did this to you isn't following you, right?" Claire interrupts suddenly, the thought probably popping up in her head.

Wait, were they?

Matt tried to remember the fight that left him a bloody mess of black and blue and realized that yes, those ninjas are definitely going to look for him.

At whatever expression Matt made, Claire's heartbeat quickens, and her voice becomes more hesitant. "And they aren't the freaky ninjas that attacked the hospital, right?"

Yes, they were.

Matt didn't respond, but that was enough to send Claire into overdrive, her heartbeat pounding, the scent of sweat forming on her skin, the squeaks of the floor as she paces in her slippers.

On the other side, Matt hears Sasuke translate to Naruto, and Naruto flies into the air.

He feels tiny calloused hands grip his shoulder with extraordinary force as they babble out Japanese fast.

"He said that we're ninjas too." Sasuke explains as the sound of knuckles cracking reverberate in the air. "We can fight them off and unlike you, actually win." He brags as Naruto shakes his head up and down.

This is bad. There was a horde of ninjas coming for him and he can barely move. Worst, he had a tired Claire, and two kids he had to protect. 

Matt stands up, swatting away Claire's hand and tightening his grip on one of the cushions on the couch.

"Whoa! You're not going anywhere with all those injuries. Those stitches can pop from even the slightest movement you make. You also might have chlorine poisoning because someone here thought making you inhale bleach was a good idea."

"Claire, take the kids and hail a cab as far away from here as possible. They're after me, not you."

"What! You can barely move right now. If I leave you here alone, they'll kill you."

"Better me than you."

"Matt..."

Someone lets out a cough, and everyone turns their heads to stare at Naruto.

Naruto shuffles his feet, his body temperature rising.

He goes on a rant and yells out Japanese in one quick breath.

Matt turns to Sasuke for a translation.

He can hear the sound of metal being unsheathed. "They're here." He answers.

Matt focuses his hearing and the swish of swords about a few feet away from the buildings echoes back. 

As usual, their steps are silent and their heartbeats are nonexistent.

"Claire, stay back. I'll deal with this."

"At this point, even the nurse will put up a better fight than you." Matt hears his fingers clutch some sort of metal. He shifts his hand, and it cuts the air like a knife.

"Listen, this isn't a game..." Matt starts to say.

"I don't play games." Sasuke's voice takes a nasty tone, a sneer slipping in.

"You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Umm, okay! Where the hell did you get this from?" Matt hears Claire says as Naruto drops something onto her palms.

"What did you just give her?" Matt asks Naruto.

"Kunai!"

Matt feels something sharp and metallic put into his hands. He runs his hands over the weapon, noticing the bandages wrapped for an easy grip and the sharp, uneven sides as if someone had sharpened it recently.

Are these kids really ninjas?

He hears Claire's heart patter fast. 

"Oh God, here they come!" Claire shouts as he hears the wood in the building crack from the enemy's footstep.

He'll need a miracle to get out of this.

 

* * *

 

 

Sasuke swung first, hurling his kunai into the shoulders of one of the ninjas. 

He was finally having some action that wasn't just him throwing his weapons at a tree or sparring with Naruto. 

He wasn't stuck in school, reading over dirty textbooks and listening to his idiotic classmates that made Naruto look like a genius. He wasn't stuck in the music room, slaving over the piano, practicing notes and keys until his fingers start to ache. He wasn't stuck in his room, watching the other kids run around and wondering how they could be satisfied with such a mediocre way of living and asking himself why he can't be like them.

He picked up the kunai lodged into the couch and readjusted his grip on it, watching the ninjas race across the room as they wielded their swords. 

A smirk sneaked across his face. This was nothing.

He ran towards the ninjas and vaulted over them before releasing a devastating kick at them. He flew through stances, using his kunai to deflect the sword attacks. Slashing through ankles, he flipped and twirled through them like a craftsman maneuvering papier-mâché dolls. He could feel steel nick at his shirt like a shark eager for a bite. 

He turned his head to check up on Naruto and Claire. 

They were holding their own, Naruto favoring strength to hurl the ninjas against the wall. Claire used her kunai to block any lethal slices but Naruto dashed through any foes that were getting too close. 

Something flit across his eye and Sasuke swiveled around to throw his kunai in one of the ninja's thighs. It cut through tendons, and the foe dropped his sword that was raised above Matt's head. 

He sprinted across the room before he wrenched the kunai out of the ninja's leg, ignoring the splash of blood that came with.

Sweat rolled over his face and he wiped it off, smearing blood on his temple. His breath quickened with each punch he threw. His heart battered against his chest, the sound throbbing in his ears. He ducked, evading a swipe that would have beheaded him. His face spun and a sword ran past him, slicing his cheek. A punch later and he's wiping blood off from his knuckles.

Blood and adrenaline rushed in his veins like a river overwhelming a broken dam. He bit his lip and savor the copper that seeped in. The intent to kill riled him up, lit a match inside him. It bubbled inside him, slid across his arm, and sharpened his kunai. He wore the energy like a second skin. This was what he was: His livelihood. To train, to challenge, to practice, to fight, to win, to conquer.

How could he have ever thought he could get used to peace?

He knocked the last ninja to the ground and they crumbled before him, the victor of the match.

He pivoted around to face his friend, but he was almost done with his match.

Naruto grabbed at his opponent's leg and flung them into the wall. At this point, he had lost his kunai. His jacket and pants were rife with tears and scruffs. He had crouched beside Claire, his nails sharpened into claws as he got on all fours. He growled, the sound so guttural and rough it stopped one of the ninjas in his tracks. With that hesitation, Naruto eye's flickered to Sasuke's, purple and slit.

Sasuke nodded and Naruto launched himself in the air. In a flash, Sasuke threw his kunai to Naruto, with the other catching it and flipping it around.

He banged the blunt end against the foe and he went down with a thud.

Naruto landed beside Sasuke, a smile playing on his lips. 

_ "That was nothing, eh Sasuke?" _  He tilted his head and his smile widened into a grin. 

Sasuke looked at the blond and used every single ounce of energy he had to repress the urge of brushing those golden locks behind his ear.

_ "Hn. As expected." _  Sasuke said, pretending the sudden redness that blossomed across his face was because of the fight.

“Watch out!” Claire yelled as a ninja sprang up with his sword in the air.

Before he could strike, Matt threw his billy club into the foe’s skull, knocking him back down into the ground.

Naruto turned to the vigilante, his blue eyes shining with wonder.

_ ”Ahh, that’s so cool! How did you do that? Teme, ask him how he did that!” _   Naruto shook Sasuke’s shoulders, pointing at the man as he slid down onto the couch.

Sasuke voiced Naruto’s question, but only because he was curious as well.

”The incident that left me blind enhanced my other senses. I can track others using my sense of hearing and smell.” Matt said.

”But since I answered your question, let me ask you one of mine: Who taught you how to fight?”

The room turned silent with the sound of ninjas groaning. Sasuke stared hard at Matt, his eyes black and cold.

”We better leave before they get back up again.” Sasuke finally said.

Listening in to the conversation, Naruto glared at Sasuke, narrowing his eyes so hard that he hoped his stare would set the boy on fire.

Naruto had picked up enough on social clues that he could tell Sasuke had said something bastard-like. He could ask him to translate his words but somehow he doubted that it will turn out as nice as he wanted it to be.

As Claire carried Matt off from the couch, Naruto rushed over to her and tugged on her pants.

He’s been practicing English with Trish (and Sasuke when he’s not being an asshole) and this phrase was one he really wants to say right.

”You’re very pretty.” He said, blinking up to her with a grin.

Claire smiled hard, stretching out the wrinkles and bags underneath her eyes.

”Thank you.” She enunciated, then ruffled his hair in case he didn’t understand her.

Naruto frowned as she patted his hair, and Claire giggled at the expression.

”It’s a good thing I took the car instead of calling a cab. I’ll take you guys home, including this one here.” Claire shook the arm that was supporting Matt, and he huffed.

”We can’t let anyone see me in this. It’ll bring too much attention.” Matt groaned.

Claire pursed her lips, thinking of a solution when Sasuke spoke up.

”Do you have a trench coat?”

 

* * *

 

 

Claire had a black, leather trench coat in the trunk of her car, so now Matt was wearing the oversized cloth over his armor with a big hat and glasses covering his face.

It wasn’t the most foolproof of plans but they couldn’t stay in the building and wait for all the ninjas to wake up as Matt recovered.

He was strapped in the front seat, his face beady with sweat and full of exhaustion.

The other two kids - Naruto and Sasuke - were sitting in the backseat. While Sasuke settled on leaning on the car door, with his gaze focused on the window, Naruto was bouncing around in his seat, poking at the different buttons that aligned by the door.

When Sasuke had said they were ninjas, she thought they were just kidding. But then, she watched Naruto hurl a grown man into the wall like he was bending paperclips. 

Judging from the tight expression on Matt’s face, she wasn't the only one frustrated with the lack of information. But whether Matt wanted to know because they claimed the label of the enemies they were fighting or because of some other enemy he had, she would never know.

But Claire had seen when ninjas cloaked in red and black had smashed through the windows of hospitals and killed her coworker. She had even examined one of them and seen the marks of their body that showed they have gone through autopsy, even though that wasn’t possible.

That being said, with all the shit Matt has gone through, she’s surprised that she was taking this better than him. But then again, maybe it was because it was personal. These kids could have been trained by the same guy that trained Matt, or did Matt trained himself to be who he was today?

God, this would be a lot less confusing if he could just open up for once.

She watched Naruto play with the A/C buttons, a chuckle coming out his lips as he leaned into the air vent.

The sight sent a smile to her lips - he was such a cute kid. If she spoke Japanese, she could have gotten answers from him.

But then there was the kid that could understand English...

She glanced at Sasuke, his face settling into a frown as he leaned his forehead against the glass.

Yeah, she wasn’t going to get anywhere with him.

Well, Claire is just going to take it all in stride. There were two kids called Naruto and Sasuke that were ninjas. Naruto was extremely fast and had some type of super strength. Sasuke was also fast but he handled weapons like they were nothing.

Just another day in the life of Claire Temple.

She really needed to get a job. Maybe she should just work in her mom’s cafe.

She dropped the kids off at their respective homes - with Naruto giving her a big smile as thanks and Sasuke glaring at her like she was roadkill.

As she drove to Matt’s apartment, she could feel the frustration pouring out from Matt.

”You know, sometimes, when you have things to say, you could do this thing called talking to get the words out.” Claire teased Matt as she made a turn.

Matt’s laughter was dry and humorless. But his lips tightened and his brows creased with wrinkles.

”I know those kids helped us, but I couldn’t stop thinking that they might be part of the Hand. I’ve been rushing through every theory possible of why they were there and what-ifs, but then I realized.

Claire slowed down to meet the red light, her fingers tapping on the steering wheel.

”They’re just kids. With everything that happened, I ... forgot that. They could have been victims of the Hand or one of Stick’s soldiers but they’re just kids. They probably helped because they thought it was the right thing to do...”

Matt stretches out his hand, and Claire reached out to grip his fingers.

”Claire... I think... I think I’m losing my humanity.”

The light had turned green but the car didn't move, the engine humming in the roads.

Claire cupped Matt's face, turning his head towards her. "Listen to me, Matt. If there is anyone human in this city, it's you. You have dedicated your life to protecting everyone in Hell's Kitchen even when it takes every drop of energy from you. Don't beat yourself up because you were being cautious."

Matt leaned into her hands, his fingers clenching against hers. "I'm just so goddamn tired of people manipulating children." 

Claire sighed, her focus returning back to driving. "You and me both."

The car ride was quiet as Claire drove towards Hell’s Kitchen.

”Matt...” she started.

”I gave up the suit.” Matt said, his body weighing down on the leather seat.

”This wasn’t supposed to happen. I defeated Nobu so the Japanese Syndicate shouldn’t have been so active now. The only reason I got back into the suit was because I heard the ninjas beating up some guy and asking for my whereabouts.”

”What are you going to do?”

Matt almost ran his hands into his hair, but he let it fall back to his lap when he realized he was still wearing the hat.

”I gave up the suit, Claire. I’m sticking to it. I gave it up.” 

Claire hummed in affirmation, using one hand to rub his shoulder.

”It’s okay, I believe you.”

She didn’t, not for a second.  

 

* * *

 

 

When Sasuke was dropped off, he was dirty, exhausted, and had strips of fabric hanging off from what he used to call clothes. 

Maybe if his night out didn’t veer off the plans he made, he wouldn’t have snapped at the nurse.

At least he still fought someone in the end. His body has been itching for something to punch and even Naruto was becoming a predictable target. 

No, that wasn’t the right word. Naruto, in fighting, is anything but predictable. But it was safe. If he fought with Naruto, he was going to come out of it with maybe a few scratches, a heavy bruise if he got really mad, but nothing a few days couldn’t fix.

But that fight a few hours ago was something akin to life and death. They might have been easy targets but they wanted to kill him. 

And that made his blood rush in an addictive way.

He climbed up the building, his feet treading on the mortar bricks. He flipped onto the window ledge and slipped into bed, lifting his blanket up to his nose. He was too tired to take a shower. Not that he could without waking the house up.

He was so tired, his vision started to blur as sleepiness took over. His eyelids closed tightly, the soft bed sheets lulling him into the realm of unconsciousness. 

Darkness swirled through him like a soft mist. He tumbled through a haze of dreams, consumed in a deluge of nothingness and everything before it all fell into oblivion. 

Somehow, he had ended up at a dining table, the cedar feeling warm underneath his fingertips. Spoons and forks chimed out as they scrapped ceramic plates. Sasuke looked down to see his meal, hot and nondescript.

The room was quiet, only three people were filling the air with the sounds of chewing.

They were bent down over their food, but slowly they raised their heads to reveal their faces.

Eyes, nose, and mouth were missing. It was blurred out, skin mushing and folding together like melted plastic. Food dripped out from the black holes where their mouths were supposed to be, and they turned toward Sasuke with sluggish movements.

His mother, or what was supposed to be his mother, banged her palms on the tables, spilling the food and cutlery across the wooden table. She hunched her shoulders up, nails digging into the table. 

"Sasukeee..." She sang his name, black tears etching her cheeks and staining her hands.

"I remember when I first saw you, Sasuke. I had never seen such a beautiful smile, with those wide, innocent eyes. You cried so hard, your puffy face was all red. It was like the sun shining after a storm." Her hair flowed over her face and shoulders like an opaque curtain. She reached for his face, her pale fingers coated in blood and tears.

"I could never forget that day. Sasuke. I couldn't forget you." She curled her fingers over his cheeks, smearing blood on his face.

"So why can't you remember me!" She grabbed his face and slammed it into the table.

He blinked and jolted out of position. With a confused but alerted mind, he looked around his surroundings. It was dark, the forest rustling as a breeze flew in and shook the leaves. There were two tents set up, the bodies inside lost in their own dreams. Right beside him, someone eyed the horizon, his face resting in his hands as he sat on the ground. 

"Oh, you're up. I didn't think it would take you so long to get here." He cuddled himself into his orange jacket.

"Hm?"

"Nevermind. I just had to ask something. It's really important."

He examined his fingernails, the skin peeling off from the corner.

"Why do you think you exist?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Is that a threat?"

But he shook his head, the leaf headband dangling from his neck. "No, I just want to know. It’s like one of those philosophical questions."

He pulled at the splinted skin, twisting it around his finger until it ripped apart.

"I mean people have their hopes, dreams, and stuff they want to accomplish. I just wanna know what yours are." 

Sasuke thought about his answer. His dreams? Did he have a dream?

The boy's voice dropped into a whisper, low and conspiratorial. "Is it revenge?"

Sasuke’s eyes widened, the word striking something in him.

"It's revenge, isn't it? You want revenge?" He leaned against the tree as if he had figured out a problem.

Sasuke shook his head. "There's nothing to get revenge for."

"But you still want it, don't you?"

"It's not revenge if there's no one who wronged me."

"But somebody wronged you. That's why it feels like you need revenge." He pointed out.

He wrung his hands as his jacket covered his palms.

"It's like, you're sitting there, and everything is fine. Well, it isn't fine but it's your version of fine. But then it starts to creep up on you. At first, it's slow and you think you can ignore it. But it starts bothering you and soon you're stomping, you can't stop gritting your teeth. It feels so hot and you just want to get out of your clothes, but that won’t help because the heat is under your skin. You wanna take your skin off and remove all those bad feelings inside it. And then, people keep saying stupid stuff and they won't shut up. And it's like, you get consumed by it. This ... anger and hate and you want to make it go away. You want to destroy everything because it's burning inside you. And everyone keeps smiling and acting like it's fine. But it's not. They can't understand how awful it feels when you're the only one that's suffering in all this hate and they're just watching and acting like they can understand. And it's so stupid because they can't, you're alone and angry and hateful and they can't understand that." 

He kicked the pebbles on the ground, hiding his face in his hoodie jacket. 

"Isn't that how it feels?" He asked.

Sasuke turned away from him, looking towards the sky instead.

"That's how I always feel." Sasuke counted the stars in the night sky. There's only three tonight.

Somewhere in the horizon, there's the howl of a wolf. But it's hard to hear when he kept fumbling with the two grey bells tied on his wrist. 

"Then, why did you stop?"

"Because there's nothing to fight anymore. It's over."

"What's nothing? What's over?" 

"That officer is dead and I killed him."

"But you were angry before. Before the murder. Why are you angry?"

"I don't know! Stop asking me."

"Why can't you remember, Sasuke?"

"Stop talking!"

"Are you going to hate forever?"

"Shut up Naruto!"

Someone grabs his shoulders and turns him around.

He looks into wide blue eyes.

"He's not Naruto, I am!" Naruto pants as he stares hard into Sasuke's eyes.

Someone pokes his back and he almost turns around but Naruto's grip is like a vice.

"Don't look at them. Don't listen." Naruto begs.

A pair of warm slender arms wrap around his chest and he feels himself getting pulled.

"Remember when you killed that officer. It felt good, didn't it? All that anger on someone else."

Sasuke tries to face them, but Naruto won't let him.

"I didn't feel anything at all."

"Sasuke, stop talking to them." Naruto says.

"That's always how it feels the first time. That's why you have to do it again. And again. Just keep killing and killing and killing until it feels good."

"Don't listen to them! They're crazy!"

"No one would stop you. There's always a target, Sasuke. You'll be just like that vigilante, except you'll be good at it."

"That's different! They don't want you to be a hero. They want you to kill people."

"Yeah, kill all the bad people. Do this wretched world a favor and rid it of the scum bubbling on top."

"You can't do that!"

"Why can't he? Why does he have to save the evil people?'

"Because-"

”Because of what? Because it’s something that we should do? Because we can’t stoop to their level?”

”Yes!”

”Do you really believe that? When it is the bad people deciding what is good and bad, then does it really matter? It’s all bullshit. You know what happens when you kill the bad people? They’re dead. They stop doing bad things.”

”You can’t kill people! That’s bad, no matter what!”

”I don’t wanna save the people that have hurt me. I don’t wanna save the people that are hurting me. I don’t wanna save the people that will hurt me. All I care about is ending them.”

”You can’t-“

"You like saving people, don't you, Naruto? You wanna save Sasuke from me?"

Sasuke glares at Naruto and shakes his grip off. "I don't need you to save me."

"Sasuke-"

"Is that tears I see? Don't tell me you're crying..."

"You'll be the one crying when I'm through with you!"

"Maybe but you'll still be all alone. What are you gonna do when you're alone, Naruto?"

"Damn you!"

"What will you do if I take Sasuke away from you, Naruto?"

"You won't!"

"But he's in my arms and yours are empty."

"Shut up." 

"What will you do when all those pranks run out and all those smiles fade away?"

"Stop..."

"What will you do when you go through all that effort just to find out nobody gives a shit about you!"

They want to say more, but a fist flies into their face. They fall onto the ground to hear Sasuke rise to his feet.

"You're annoying." His tone is frigid, cold enough to freeze fire.

"Get out of here."

Sasuke woke up to find a 9-year old jumping on his bed while Sister Mae laughed by his bedroom door.

That dream was weird; it was as if Naruto was actually in it. But between the time of waking up, showering, explaining why his clothes are dirty and torn, eating breakfast, and going to school, the dream faded away from his memory.

After bearing the nightmare known as school with only 4 hours of sleep, Sasuke ran to the apartment to collapse on the couch.

He's almost about to sleep when he felt Kiku pound on his legs, the baby raising her arms as if she's asking to be carried. 

Sasuke granted her wish and picked her up to drop her on his lap. Kiku reached to clutch his bangs but unlike before when she would drag it down, she simply held onto it with a loose grip.

"You better not get used to her holding you like that."

Sasuke looked at the nun to explain.

Sister Mae scratched the back of her neck. That’s right, Sasuke woke up later than all the other kids.

"Well, I said it to everyone in the morning but basically, Kiku is getting adopted. Isn't that great news?"

It wasn't great news at all. It was horrible news. Why was she so happy that Kiku will be leaving the home?

"No." He grunted out.

"Ah, don't be like that. Kiku is finally going to be with somebody that'll love her. You should be excited for her."

"I'm not." He crossed his arms and glared at the nun.

She sighed, rotating the rosary that dangled on her chest. "How about I give you some time to process it? I know it will be hard to deal with Kiku leaving but she's going to be happier. You'll see with time." She walked off to the kitchen, her black robe dragging on the tiles.

How was Sasuke supposed to ‘see with time’ ? Sister Mae wasn't a good judge of character. It could have been a serial killer that wanted to adopt Kiku but she wouldn't have the wits to realize it.

He needed to take matters into his own hands. He'll stop whoever's trying to adopt Kiku since the nun wasn’t up to the task. 

No matter what he would have to do, he won’t let anyone take her away from him.

Sasuke watched as Kiku cuddled into his chest and started to nod off.

Kiku doesn't need anyone else; she has Sasuke.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh, another long chapter I cut. Sorry for the delay, I got a bout of writer’s block but we’re back on track now. Umm, I really hate switching conventions but until I think of something else, it’s whatever.
> 
> Thanks for all the support you guys give. It really helps me keep writing. I don’t have any more news except more marvel characters in the next chapter but I’m pretty sure you guys inferred that. 
> 
> Also, skit:
> 
> Trish: okay this is a big event. before we go in there, let’s lay out the ground rules. do you remember what we said?
> 
> Naruto: yep! bite paparazzi, fight the bad guys and steal Ms. Jess’s wallet 
> 
> Trish: okay
> 
> Trish: remember I said her laptop not her wallet


	9. Step Eight: Drown Your Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke deals with some shit. Naruto gets along with Trish and gets a long sigh from Jessica. Monica enters the fold with a fear of being poisoned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tired. Sleepy.  
> This has season 1 of Jessica Jones happening in this chapter (speed run bitches) but there's a very very short recap because I'm so nice. If you don't feel like going through it skip the section between the "***". This chapter feels off to me because of how much I skipped through it but flashbacks aren't my thing (Lol ironic considering I'm writing about Naruto) so it's whatever. Next chapter brings in Luke and Danny so things are gonna be chill. There might be other cameos, but I'm sleepy and sick.

Naruto was kinda weird.

It was a thought that popped into Trish’s head as she saw him pop a hard-boiled egg into his mouth, climb a tree, and try to feed it to a bunch of baby birds in the nest on top.

She had asked multiple times if he had considered a therapist, and yes, he’s seeing a therapist, and no, it’s not because he keeps fighting the hot dog stand owner, but yes, it’s because of the voice in his head that keeps saying it’s an ancient fox demon hellbent on destruction.

Again, weird. But kinda cute too.

It was nice to be near a kid that didn’t expect her to break into song. Luckily for her, Naruto had never heard of ‘Patsy’ and he is 100% not interested in it. Unluckily for her, he had heard someone singing the theme song and like a nasty earworm, Naruto had caught it. There wasn’t a minute that would go by without him humming or singing the song. It lasted for a month until one day, he came into Jess’s office with a black eye and pledged to never sing it again. Five minutes later, she caught him downloading the album on his phone.

Sometimes, she would take him on an ‘educational’ trip to her studio. He exasperated the rest of the staff but no one has lodged a formal complaint yet so she didn’t see any problem. She would have thought Naruto would hate it there since 95% of the time, Naruto didn’t know what she was saying but he said that he liked listening to her voice. He liked her ‘Trish Talk’ and liked talking shit about some of the people that called in.

Finally, he just had that look on his face. Somewhere between the time she took him to a shop that sold ramen and the time they played Uno with Jess, he kept looking at her with that look.

The look that said she couldn’t do anything wrong.

Like she’s great.

So yeah, Trish liked Naruto more than a childhood-celebrity-turned-radio-personality should like an orphan.

But in her defense, Jess liked him almost as much as she did.

Her case being, Naruto was just a likable kid.

She looked back to see the mama bird attack Naruto as he clung to the tree with wide, shaky eyes.

A little less inclined towards common sense, but still likable.

Trish started to approach him but backed off when she saw Jessica walking up instead.

”You stay there, I’ll get the brat.” Jessica sighed as she headed over to the tree.

Trish watched as Jessica came close only to get attacked by the bird as well. She flung her arms in the air for protection, waving them wildly. The bird wasn't deterred though, as it flew high and dived down to scratch at Jess with its talons. Finally, Jess struck out blindly and slap the bird into the ground, its body burrowing into the dirt and indenting it. The bird started to twitch and she could hear Naruto yelling at Jessica for killing the bird (she didn’t), and Jessica yelling at Naruto for whatever the fuck he was doing.

Of course, none of them understood the other’s language, so it was all pointless.

Maybe their personalities were like some kind of sliding scale; the more common sense you had, the less likable you were.

“Jess, it’s kinda ridiculous to yell at him if he can’t understand you,” Trish said as she ran towards them.

Jessica turned around to face Trish. “When you despise someone as much as I do, it transcends language barriers.”

Before Trish can respond, Naruto jumped off the tree to land on Jessica’s back, the impact almost pushing her to the ground.

”Ugh!” She grabbed Trish’s shoulder, trying to support herself as the brat on top of her giggled.

”See ... nothing ... ugh ... says I hate you ... huff ... like ... god ... destroying someone’s back ...” Jessica heaved as she rose up from her position.

When he saw his grip on her was slipping, Naruto jumped down from her back and headed towards the bird that was still lodged into the ground.

_”Hey! Let’s stay away from the bird that was attacking you.”_  Trish dragged Naruto away by his arm.

_”But I have to check if it's dead!”_  Naruto whined.

_”Don’t worry, Jess didn’t slap it too hard.”_

_”It can’t get off from the ground.”_

_”I’ll dial Animal Control. But let’s just go inside, people are starting to watch.”_

They headed inside the apartment — with Jessica taking an extra minute to recover— only to see someone waiting for her in front of her door.

The lady was tanned, mid-30s to early 40s, maybe more privileged than most by the way she clutched her purse and darted her eyes around the hallway.

”Are you Jessica Jones? I need your help.” She pulled a black strand of hair behind her ear, looking anywhere except at Jessica.

"I don't offer help, I give you an answer to your problems and you give me money for it," Jessica grunted.

Jessica didn’t like the h-word. There were a lot of h-words she didn’t like but ‘help’ was definitely one of them.

It made it seem like she’s doing this out of the goodness of her heart, and not just because she needs the money and she’s good at her job. But this client looked rich and beggars can't be choosers.

She chased Trish and Naruto out, both of them cursing and protesting.

The more time she’s forced to spend with them, the more she starts to believe the stereotypes with blonds.

Pushing them out, she opened the door for the lady to come in, readying herself for a potential case by slumping into her chair.

"So, what seems to be the problem?" Jessica curled her fingers around the bottle hidden underneath her desk. 

Ever since her office became more populated, she had hidden her alcohol collection around the apartment in case a certain someone gets an idea.

"My name is Mrs. Donovan." The woman tapped her phone against the side of the chair, shifting around in the wooden seat.

As Jessica examined her potential client, she started to realize it might have been useful to hide her drink close to the desk.

Mrs. Donovan looked different from her usual clientele. Judging from the color of her neck versus her face, she liked to indulge in makeup. Her wrist held a watch decorated with authentic diamonds, and a string of pearls covered her neck. Even with the makeup, Jessica could still see the dark bags underneath the lady's eyes, which were also red and wet. 

This case didn't look like it would be an easy one. 

"I'm here because I'm worried about my husband. He's been acting strange recently." Her tapping became louder, pounding against the chair until it abruptly stopped when she noticed the nervous tic.

Jessica took out a notepad. "That's how it always goes." She muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Is your husband going out late at night and coming back in the morning?"

"Well, no."

"Not talking as much? Hiding his things? General sneakiness?"

"No, he's not doing any of those things."

Jessica flipped her pen around, the pointed end facing the woman. "Then what's the problem with your husband?"

Mrs. Donovan sat up straight, coughing a bit to clear her voice. "Well, we've been married for 7 years and those were the happiest part of my life, but everything changed last month. He was missing for three days and when I finally found him, his clothes were all ripped up and he had all these bruises. I asked him what happened and he told me not to worry about it. Ever since that night, he's been having horrible nightmares. He doesn't talk to me as much, and sometimes he gives me this look like he doesn't recognize me."

Jessica sighed, signaling to the woman to continue her story. This was sounding more like something a therapist should be dealing with, not a private eye.

"At first, I just thought he had been traumatized. But lately, he's been hiding his phone from me. He never used to do that. He's also been going out more in the afternoon, saying that he's on a work trip but I'm friends with his boss, and there haven't been any work trips this year. I don't want to believe it, but I think he might be cheating on me."

They could have easily reached this conclusion —like five minutes ago— if she had just answered yes to Jessica's questions.

After Jessica reluctantly said that she would look into it, Mrs. Donovan smiled, shook her hand for way too long, and left in a hurry, talking about a luncheon or some shit.

Today was getting weirder and weirder as it went on. Jessica has been offered money by CEOs and even that didn't compare to what Mrs. Donovan offered. She could buy the bar next door with this type of money.

Jessica leaned into her chair, only for her back to bump into something soft.

Turning around, she picked up an oversized, neon orange jacket, the offending piece of cloth burning a hole in her eyes.

Maybe she could even buy that brat a better jacket.

She put it on the cloth rack next to the door, peeking out from her apartment to see if there was anyone that was waiting on her. But the hallways were empty, the cheap lamps flickering on and off, illuminating the dull walls. Trish must have taken Naruto out for lunch.

It was weird, having a kid that could only speak Japanese cling to you like you're life itself. It was definitely unwarranted, what with Jessica chasing, yelling, and glaring at the kid, she thought he would have cursed her name and ran far, far away.

But he had stayed.

And it wasn't just because of Trish because there were days he would bang the door open and let himself in with his bright orange book-bag. Jessica would tell him to get out, he would yell that he was staying —or at least that what she imagined he was yelling— and Jessica would do her work while Naruto would try to do his homework.

Then, he would finish it and rush over to see what Jessica was doing. She didn't mess around with client's confidentiality, of course, but it's not like she could shoo him away. Plus, he didn't understand any of the shit he was seeing, and if he did, who would he tell? So, she would let him see the harmless documents and he would start jabbering about all types of stuff she could only imagine. The room wouldn't feel so isolated, with Naruto chattering away while Jessica focused on corporate documents and screenshots.

It felt comfortable. She wasn't used to comfortable. She was used to awkward, painful, downright weird, but not comfortable.

Jessica stirred from her thoughts when she heard a knock on the door. Since the person had bothered to knock, she can safely assume it wasn't Trish.

She got up, opening the door to see a couple standing outside.

"Hi, I'm Barbara Shlottman, this is my husband, Bob." The wife greeted.

Two cases in one day, that must be an omen or something.

 

* * *

 

Monica prodded her meal, her fork stirring the meats floating in the liquid. Then, she leaned in close to see if there were any changes in color, consistency or texture. She hesitated, but eventually, she sniffed it just to make sure it was a tomato and beef soup.

Meanwhile, her mother, Maria Rambeau, stared at her, her nose crinkled up in disgust.

"Are you going to marry it too?" She said as she watched Monica lift her bowl around.

"I gotta make sure it isn't poisoned, ma. I've been having a rough week." Monica responded, setting the bowl down.

A rough week was an understatement of the seven days of hell she has lived through so far. It had started off small, with her socks going missing, and now someone had smeared dirt all over her windows.

Maria snorted, taking a sip out of her coffee.

"You wouldn't be dealing with this if you had just stayed in the Navy." She said.

Monica rolled her eyes, a bit subtly though, in case her mother was watching. "I haven't been in New York for 4 years just for someone with a grudge to chase me away. I told you that I'm happy here."

"You say you're happy but you were a lot happier in the Navy."

"In the beginning, ma. But I got tired of it, and now I'm here, making a difference."

"I suppose so. I just could never see you doing something like being a firefighter."

Monica smiled as she watched her proud mother take another bite out of her sandwich. With the graying hair, the defined wrinkles, and the pudgy shape her mother had taken on, she kept being reminded that she's around the age her mother was when she started working in the Air force.

She had grown up raving about how she was going to be a pilot, and defend the Earth, and fight for freedom. Instead, she joined the Navy, and if that wasn't bad enough, she left early.

Maybe she just wasn't as put together as her mom.

Speaking of which ... "Hey, have you gotten any letters back from Auntie Carol yet?" Monica hadn't heard from the captain since she moved to New York. It could be that her mom was hiding the letters from her —She hadn't visited in a while—but she didn't think she was that petty.

"Nah, but I'm sure she would have something really exciting to tell, though." Maria shook her head, her eyes twinkling at the thought.

Monica wondered for the nth time how weird it was that Auntie Carol didn't age. Imagine 50 years from now, when she might have to be put in a nursing home and her aunt would be wheeling her around. 

Hmm, that was a little disturbing to think about.

They finished up their lunch and walked back to Monica's car, only to see the hood of the engine lifted slightly.

"No, no, no, no, no! Not again!" Monica ran to her car and opened the hood, only to see it filled to the brim with marbles.

She cocked her head to the side as her hand dug through the spheres that were crammed into the engine.

She heard her mom come over to check it out and hum in a thoughtful tone.

"That looks like a problem. Are you sure you didn't piss anyone off?"

Monica gestured to the car engine. "No! I haven't pissed anyone off. And even if I may have accidentally, it wouldn't be enough for them to resort to this!"

"I'm not sure about that, dear." Maria picked up a letter taped to the hood and handed it over to Monica.

Monica opened up the letter to see the words "Leave town or else..." written all over it.

"You should file a police report." Her mom said.

That was the logical choice, but...

"I'll deal with it myself. I'm sure it's just some prankster trying to scare me." Monica finally had something exciting happening to her. Maybe it wasn't as big as aliens or fighting fires, but it was something happening to her.

She could handle it.

"So, how you're gonna 'deal' with your car stuck in the street?" Her mom pointed out.

Monica sighed, pushing away the dreadlocks that fell onto her face. "I'll call a tow truck."

Her mom patted her shoulder. 

"While you do that, I'll call a cab." She said.

Monica dialed the phone number, only to hear the sound of music — the type cell phone operators used to put their customers on hold.

Anger flaring up, she slammed her fist against the hood of the engine, only to cringe when she heard a crunching noise.

Yep, a horrible week.

 

* * *

 

Naruto sat outside the elevator. Not inside it, because that would be weird, but outside it. Specifically on the fifth floor.

The fifth floor was where a certain private investigator worked from her home office.

Naruto pouted, his cheeks blowing up as he puffed out air. He had stayed here overnight, and the caretaker guy wouldn't be happy. Ever since Jessica scared the shit out of him and Sasuke thrashed the shit out of him, the man has been acting ... well, shitless. It wasn't bad, as Naruto finally got the same meal portions as the other kids, and wasn't yelled at or smacked anymore. But it felt weird, like something significant had changed.

Maybe it had something to do with his memories of before. Maybe he had never had a caretaker that was nice to him.

But that led to uncomfortable thoughts, so instead, he focused on what he was going to say to Ms. Jess.

Ms. Jess had been ignoring him. Well, actually, that was a nice way to say that she had yelled at him for no reason and banned him from ever coming near her again. She called him some rude stuff and Naruto wasn't sure what had gotten her so worked up.

With no one else to turn to, he went to find Ms. Trish so maybe she could explain it.

But when he went to her apartment, nobody answered. 

So he snuck in, hoping she wasn't avoiding him too. But there was nobody there. Bored and restless, Naruto's hands became the devil's workshop as he explored the apartment, looking around and snooping where he shouldn't. 

Eventually, the talk show host came back and told him off for going through her stuff, but she calmed down when Naruto explained his encounter with Ms. Jess that day. Her face was suddenly all sad, and she crashed into a sofa, sighing loudly. 

Then she explained what had happened to Ms. Jess.

There was this really evil guy called Kilgrave. He liked to wear purple suits and be an asshole. He was especially an asshole on how he controlled people with his voice, telling them to do stuff that they wouldn't want to do. One day, he had met Jessica and forced her to do his evil bidding. But one day, Kilgrave got hit by a bus and Jessica escaped from him. She had thought he was dead, but he survived that crash. It took him a year but he started to mess with Jessica again, controlling the daughter of Jessica's clients, the Schlottmans. Jessica wanted to run away but Trish convinced her to stay and rescue the daughter, Hope. She rescued her but it turned out Kilgrave had controlled Hope, ordering her to kill her parents. She went to prison because no one thought Kilgrave existed, and now, Jessica is trying to catch him to prove he's real.

But as the older blonde said, Ms. Jess doesn't want Kilgrave to control Naruto, and that's why she was pushing him away.

But Naruto wasn't a pushover, if he ever saw Kilgrave, he would just beat him to a pulp without hesitating. Sure, he had no idea on what the guy looked like, but if he ever tried to get him to do something, he'll punch his lights out before he could finish talking.

But he wasn't really sure of the right words to say.

Sasuke had been avoiding him—unlike Ms. Jess, he didn't have an excuse— so he had to practice by himself some English words to say.

There's some he already knew from when he was talking with Zip like "Thank you", "Please", "Sorry", and "Fuck you."

The only one that would make sense in there would be "Sorry".

But he didn't know what he would be sorry for.

Well, he was just going to wing it.

As he started to hum the Patsy song Sasuke explicitly said never to sing again, he saw a figure jogging up to the elevator.

The man looked all weird and sweaty, with those ugly exercise shorts. He was kinda tall with his hair all brown and poofy—

Wait, it's Moptop!

He met Moptop once when he was walking with Trish to Jessica's office. He was looking around and even though Trish had warned him not to come close to him, he had done so anyway and Moptop had swiped his jacket and ran off. His wallet was in there and he lost all his money!

And now he was here.

Naruto sprang up like a bullet, marching over to where the man was.

 

While Naruto was coming close, Malcolm was trying to distract his mind from all the shit coursing through his mind.

 

Run, run, run, have a good life, a good education, and a future, gorgeous and bright.

 

Run, run, run, a man in a purple suit and British accent comes by.

 

Run, run, run, get hooked on drugs and float through life.

 

Run, run, run, grades drops and his parents cry.

 

Run, run, run, stalking a shell of a woman, taking her pics, giving it to the guy.

 

Run, run, run, his life is ruined. Slavery in exchange for a high.

 

Run, run, run, she found out, will she get angry? Is it his time to die?

 

Run, run, run, throw up in her fucking toilet.

 

Run, run, stop. There's a kid in his way with his face set in a glare and his hand outstretched.

 

Wait. That orange jumpsuit made a reappearance in his mind. He remembered grabbing something orange, taking the money, buying drugs.

Shit.

Malcolm jogged in place, his brow furrowing as he slowly digested the fact that he had robbed a kid for drugs. Ironic, considered before Kilgrave started to control him, he was studying to be a social worker. He was supposed to be helping children.

But he couldn't change the past. All he could do was focus on fixing himself now, in the present.

"Oh, hey. It looks like you want something, huh?" Malcolm said, wondering how the fuck he will handle this. It's not like he had all the money he owed the boy— It was a really fat wallet.

The boy's face squeezed harder, his face turning red as he started to growl. Malcolm chuckled as sweat rolled off his forehead. With no other choice, he scurried around the boy and ran up to the elevator, pressing the button fast and repeatedly.

A second later, the elevator opened. Behind its doors was not an escape route, but Jessica drunk off her ass lying down on the floor.

"Well, look who decided to drop by." He said, forgetting the angry boy that was, a few seconds ago, ready to maul him.

And it seemed like the kid had forgotten his role as well, because he pushed Malcolm aside, running up to Jessica only to scowl from the stench of garbage emanating off her.

_"Did that Kilgrave guy make you swim through garbage?"_  Naruto said, not knowing how much that statement would have set her off.

Instead, she saw him hold his nose, waving his hand through the air.

She rolled her eyes. "This is the smell of shame. If you saw what you were wearing, you would smell like me too." She said, slurring over her words.

Malcolm took her arm and put it over his shoulder, hoisting her up. He took a glance behind to see the kid blowing a raspberry at her, only to double down coughing. Even as he suffered through that, he continued to tag after them.

"Jessica, there's a kid that's following us around. He might be pissed off 'cause I stole his money a while back." Malcolm warned her.

"Huh? Oh, that's Naruto. He'll just bite you a little. You could have worse loan sharks." Jessica mumbled, struggling even with Malcolm's help to get in the apartment. 

They stumbled into the messy apartment, with Naruto trailing behind.

"Be careful. Hey, can you help me and move that box out of the way?" Malcolm asked Naruto.

But the boy only blinked, before abandoning them to rummage the fridge.

"He doesn't speak English. I hope you know how to say "Sorry" in Japanese." Jessica leaned against the wall and took off her boots.

Malcolm sighed, going towards the kitchen to find some electrolytes. Jessica definitely needed them. Her skin was paler than usual, and he could see her breathing become harsh, almost as if she's panting.

But before he could go to the kitchen, Naruto sniffed the air and started to freak out. The boy ran up to Malcolm, his hands gesturing as he spoke Japanese at a speed that even those who knew the language might struggle in understanding him.

"Okay, slow down. Um, is it a word? An action? Fighting?" Malcolm guessed as Naruto started to gesture his meaning.

"Choking? Something smelling bad? Jessica? I'm sorry but I just don't understand what you're trying to say." Malcolm sighed as Naruto threw his hands up.

He bit his thumb with enough force to draw blood. Malcolm recoiled, stunned as he thought about how painful it must have been to do that. But the boy didn't flinch, instead bringing his thumb up for Malcolm to see.

"Blood?"

Naruto nodded, then shook the finger around, spilling blood all over.

"Blood ... all around?" Malcolm asked.

Before Naruto could respond, they heard a shriek from the bedroom.

Malcolm and Naruto ran inside, only to see Jessica shaking as she slid down the walls and gaped at the bloody corpse laying on her bed.

Malcolm turned to Naruto to try and hide the view from him, but by the way Naruto's eyes had widened, he had already seen it.

Jessica stared at her hands, blood seeping into her palms as if they had found who had caused them to leak.

She was the reason. She did this. She dared to fight Kilgrave and now she kept having dead bodies piling up in her apartment.

She was gonna kill everyone.

She heard a noise and look to see Malcolm and Naruto standing by.

Naruto.

What if it was his body next? What if it was his blood that would be staining her bed and her clothes? What if she would be the reason his bright orange jacket turned a filthy, cold, dead, decaying red?

"Malcolm . . . please . . . get him out of here." Jess said.

"Okay—" 

"NOW! HE CAN'T BE HERE! He'll kill him! He's killing everyone . . . Oh God, I can't do this! I can't! It's my fault! Everyone's going to die and it'll be my fault!" Jessica screamed.

She grabbed at her hair, some locks falling out from the pressure. Blood clung to her, with every fist she threw into the wall staining the plaster. Words became formless syllables that stunk with anguish and despair. Her body trembled as she tried to vomit out her wretchedness with her wails.

Malcolm grabbed Naruto and ran out of the apartment, ignoring the tears that were falling onto his arm.

 

* * *

 

Sasuke didn't understand it. How someone could get so angry and tired and still not give up. It has been a few days since he has been observing Ms. Rambeau. Something unsettling was going on. He wasn't sure at first, but he starting to believe that someone apart from him resents the woman.

After all, he wasn't the one that destroyed the car like that. He had written the note and planned to tape on the car but he was surprised to see someone had damaged it with those rocks. He wasn't above adding salt to the wound, so he simply pasted the note and left. But a few days after that, someone had smashed the windows, poured some liquid in the engine, scratched the seats of the car, stole the tires. Whoever was doing this was much more malicious than Sasuke.

He wasn't sure if that annoyed him or disturbed him.

Sasuke watched as Ms. Rambeau argued with a representative of a towing company for nearly an hour before stomping off to sit in her non-functioning car, settling there in silence for a few minutes before she buried her face in her hands and screamed.

With the way she seemed stressed, Sasuke would have thought she would give up after the 4th day.

But no, here she was, practicing breathing exercises instead of fleeing the city.

He didn't understand it, why she was chasing after this so much.

His alarm on his phone rang, and Sasuke looked at the time and frowned.

It takes about an hour for the kids from the foster home to come back from school. While they took the bus to get home, Sasuke found that he was much faster and would walk instead.

Right now, he only had ten minutes before the other kids would arrive and the sister would get suspicious.

Taking one last glance, Sasuke ran back home, sneaking inside the apartment to avoid the winding, annoying lectures of the nun about safety.

"Sasuke, I haven't seen you around today. Don't tell me you're avoiding me?" The nun asked.

Sasuke ignored the sister, choosing to stomp into his room and slam the door with a resounding thud.

Staring back at the slammed door, she couldn't help but sigh. Does she have the energy to talk to the boy today? Hearing the cries of the younger kids from across the room, she headed over there instead, eager to deal with problems she could actually solve.

One of the kids were crying about the other stealing their sandwich. Another said it was theirs in the first place since the other wasn't interested in eating it. Then, someone else had licked the sandwich and changed their mind about eating it. She had offered to make 3 new sandwiches for them, but all of them had complained that no sandwich would ever look as good as the first one. They had quickly changed forgotten about that though when she ordered pizza instead.

Easy problems, easy solutions.

As she sat down, she looked over to the fridge to see the finger paintings Kiku had done with Tyrel hanging by a corner. Grief was something new to her, as both her parents are still alive, and most of the kids she took in were because their parents were declared unfit by the state. Dealing with loss, especially with someone so close, was an arduous challenge Mae barely defeated.

But comforting someone else was a whole other thing.

She had no idea how to help Sasuke. With the controversy involving Tyrel's death, the state had assigned him a therapist but there weren't enough counseling sessions to alleviate all the years he had spent accumulating hatred.

As she mulled over her dilemma, she heard the doorbell ring.

She opened the door, letting in a very exhausted Monica Rambeau.

"Ms. Rambeau, I didn't expect to see you today." The nun welcomed her in, closing the door and shutting out the terrible weather from coming in.

"I didn't expect to see myself here either." Monica sat down on one of the armchairs, happy to be out of the harsh weather.

"Would you like some tea?" Sister Mae offered. "It will perk you right up."

"I rather have some water, please."

The nun went into the kitchen and came out holding a large glass for Monica to drink. She took it and relished the taste, soothing her throat that was irritated from the amount of screaming she had done.

"Are you okay? You must have been pretty thirsty to be downing it so fast."

"Let's just say I have had a very rough day."

The nun stood up, clapping her hands in excitement. "I know exactly what can solve that."

The nun ran into one of the bedrooms and came out with a toddler tangled in copper wires.

"I have no idea how she got herself stuck like this. These cables were on the highest shelf!" The nun huffed as she tried to detangle the child from all the wires, something that only got harder as the toddler started to squirm and cry.

Monica stood up, walking over to the baby. "Let me see her."

When the nun handed her off, Monica carefully held her as she looked for a loose end of the cable. It seemed like there were two wires she had gotten stuck in, but as long as she found one loose end...

There it was! Stuck right between the child's toes. She took the wire and slid it out, eliciting a giggle from the toddler as she stopped crying, and followed the trail, unraveling the large knots and twists until she was holding two wires and one giggling toddler.

"That wasn't too hard. And look at that, she's right as rain." Monica gave the cables back to the nun and watched the kid laugh and spurt spit bubbles from her mouth.

Sister Mae went to drop the cables back in their rightful place. However, her annoyance at having another kid tangled in the wires again melted away when she returned to the living room and saw Ms. Rambeau there.

At the same time, Sasuke emerged from his room, face squeezed tightly from the headache that had suddenly appeared. His head was a warzone, the pulses of pain riddling his brain like bullets cutting through a soldier's body.

He trudged out from his room, his hand leaning on the wall for support. He was heading towards the living room to ask the sister where she kept the pain medicine when he heard noises. 

Although moving too fast would cause his eyes to see stars, he darted into the hallways, his back leaning against the wall as he panted hard. The voices buffered as his brain throbbed with aches. Enduring it, he peeped out from the hallway.

"Aww! Look at you and Kiku getting along. You're a natural at this!" Sister Mae said to Monica as she watched the firefighter cuddle Kiku close to her chest. 

At first, Monica had felt a little awkward holding her. Kiku was wriggling in her hold and she, herself, had only held a baby a few times. But she sat down and adjusted Kiku so she would rest on her lap.

Big brown eyes stared at her, watching her akin to a hawk eyeing its surroundings. Monica guided little hands into her own, holding them like they were made of porcelain. She leaned in, letting go of one of Kiku's hands, and tapped her on the nose.

Kiku drew back with her mouth hanging open, blinking hard. Then, her eyes started to crinkle up, as a few bouts of giggles left her lips. Monica smiled, lifting her up in the air. Kiku really liked that — her giggles erupted into screams of joy.

"Huh, you're not too bad, are you? Hey!" Monica leaned back to dodge the sudden kick Kiku gave. 

Kiku didn't stop laughing even when Monica scowled, the action making her guffaw. Monica chuckled but started to laugh just as hard as Kiku.

But the laughter crashed to a halt at the sudden sound of glass breaking.

Sister Mae clicked her tongue. "Excuse me, I'll deal with that in a second." She scurried to the hallway, the black flowing robes disappearing behind the walls.

As she rocked the still-giggling toddler, she let her thoughts wander.

A few years ago, she was rising up the ranks in the Navy base in New Orleans. She was accomplishing her childhood dreams. By all means, she should have been happy.

But she felt disillusioned instead. Growing up, she had heard thrilling stories from her mom about her piloting days and the times she and Auntie Carol would go out to save alien civilizations from certain doom. She knew that she probably won't encounter any aliens, but she had thought it would be her calling, something that would light the same fire behind her mom's eyes every time she talked about it.

And sure, she went out to sea sometimes, she made friends, she gained a new level of appreciation for boats, but it wasn't as amazing as she thought it would be. She could blame it on high expectations, but in the end, she burned out.

So she finished her contract, moved to New York, and became a firefighter. Her mom thought she had grown two heads, giving up an amazing life serving to be a firefighter. Sure, she got used to it, but the idea was still a bit hard for her to swallow. For Monica, she finally felt some of the excitement she was searching for. The adrenaline from rushing into a burning building not knowing whether she will come back alive fueled her in a way the Navy could never do. It definitely helped that the city was always getting bombed for some reason. 

But soon, she started to feel like she was missing something. She would put all her energy into her job and come back to an empty home. She thought that maybe she just needed a relationship, so she went on dates, hookups, and one-night stands. But it never worked out, and she would always end up where she started: alone.

The idea hadn't popped up randomly — after all, with all the years she spent pulling kids out of fires and watching them tearfully reunite with their parents, she imagined it had an effect on her— but it reached the point that she wondered for hours what it would be like to have a kid.

She told her mother this, and unsurprisingly she was enthusiastic, but after talking to her about it, thinking about her life choices, deliberating on what exactly was her hopes and dreams, she decided that maybe she wanted a kid.

And it took a few more months to prepare herself for that. Getting her finances in order, researching different foster homes, lessons about being a parent. 

Oh, and wasn't that funny, that the woman that runs into danger every day is scared of that word.

Parent.

But at the same time, looking at Kiku, her heart twisted. It was the smile that did it, that smile that burrowed its way to where Monica kept everything she ever cared about and snuggled up inside like it had always belonged.

She would do anything to keep that smile.

At the sound of the nun's grumbling, she returned back to reality. She carried Kiku and went back into the hallways to see the nun sweeping up pieces of a broken vase.

"Sometimes, they can have a little too much energy. I tried asking all the kids to see who did it but no one knows what happened. I'm just glad it wasn't anything more expensive..." She packed up all the pieces in her little dustpan, heading off to throw it in the trash.

Monica looked around to see the cupboard where the vase must have fallen out of, the door swinging out. She turned around to offer Sister Mae some help when she felt something underneath her shoe.

It was a broken padlock, steel buckling near the finger indents.

 

* * *

 

Trish sighed as she hung up from her phone. It's been one hell of a month.

First, that British creep that was obsessed with Jessica popped up. And really, she doesn't even need to say her second point because when a guy that can control people with his voice is after you, nothing really matters after that.

********

But just to point out how crazy this is, she'll go over the whole stupid history of one Zebediah Kilgrave. Before he made an appearance, Jessica was actually steady. She still had that sarcastic side, but it wasn't layered with regrets and trauma. Her eyes had a shine to them, and her smiles were short but sweet as she mulled over the idea of being a hero. But then he ruined it. In just one shitty minute of meeting her, he forced her to become his personal powered girlfriend, taking every ounce of control Jessica had struggled to get in her life. She spent months being his mindless slave, finally escaping from his abilities as his body lied on the streets from a lucky bus accident.

Scarred by the experience, she made sure to isolate herself, giving up whatever hope she had in the future. She took up a job as a private investigator, emerging herself to exposing the seedier side of others. She drowned herself in alcohol, with the only solace she could take is the fact that Kilgrave was dead.

Sadly, Kilgrave was just as disgusting and hard-to-kill as a cockroach. He controlled the daughter of the client's Jessica had, the Shlottmans. When she— that is, the daughter Hope, ended up killing her parents via Kilgrave's orders, Jessica took it upon herself to stop the man who had controlled and abused her years before. The problem with this was that Jessica needed Kilgrave alive to prove Hope's innocence. They went through many attempts just to catch the guy, and when Jess finally did trap him in an insulated soundproof room in an abandoned building, it all went south.

Kilgrave was keeping his mouth shut and video of Jessica beating him within an inch of his life until he confesses wouldn't hold up in court. So, Jess decided to make things personal and found Kilgrave's parents who had experimented on Kilgrave and basically gave him his powers. She thought that if he saw his parents, he would be too emotional and would use his powers on them. And she was right. But she didn't count on him working with Jeri Hogarth, the lawyer Jessica had brought to make sure his case would stick. The lawyer sabotaged the room and trap they had set up, while Kilgrave made his mom kill herself and escaped.

Jessica figured out that somehow she had become immune to Kilgrave's mind control. Kilgrave's dad, Albert, wanted to make a vaccine based on her blood. But of course, Kilgrave nabbed Hope when she was released from prison and captured a bunch of other people too. It was a hostage situation: Albert for Hope. Albert thought he had perfected the vaccine but when Jessica went to trade him for Hope, it didn't work. To make things worse, Hope realized that the only reason Jessica hadn't killed Kilgrave was because of her, so she committed the ultimate sacrifice and killed herself so Jessica could do what was necessary and end his life.

********

And to top it off, Trish had just gotten off the phone with Jessica. Apparently, the building they had kept Kilgrave imprisoned in — along with all the evidence of his mind control — got burnt down, with the detective that was helping Jessica found dead in it. She decided to meet up with Jess at her place and then spend the rest of the night finding Albert's body because if there's one thing Kilgrave likes to do, it's leaving a trail of bodies.

She gathered up her stuff, ready to help her sister when her phone rang.

"Hello?" She asked, not bothering to check the caller ID.

"Ms. Trish?  _Hello?_ "

Trish brought the phone closer, her ears not quite believing what they heard.  _"Naruto, is that you?"_  She asked.

_"Yeah ... I ... umm ... well ... "_  Trish slid down into a chair, listening as Naruto stammered over his words. This was something rare, Naruto at a loss for words.

But she understood it completely. With all the chaos and murders that had happened, Jessica had completely shut him out. Many people would say that Jessica was ruthless, for obvious reasons, but she was sharper, her insults hitting hard where her punches couldn't. But none of those things would help her if Kilgrave went after Naruto. 

As Trish wasn't used to cutting people out like Jessica was, she still met up with him. But after she almost put a bullet through her head—Thanks to Kilgrave— she realized she wasn't strong enough to protect him if he became a target. So she took up Jessica's example.

But that didn't mean she liked it. Not one bit.

_"Listen, Naruto. I know that I've been ... distant. But I promise it's for your own good."_

The snort she heard on the other end of the line told her that he didn't believe that.

_"Naruto, the guy Jessica is trying to bring down is very dangerous. You won't believe the horrible things he has done."_

_"I can! I've seen it!"_

Trish inhaled a burst of air, her mind flitting back to the time she had answered the phone to hear his voice, high and hysterical. That was the last time he had seen Jessica.

_"Then you understand that he will do anything to hurt Jessica. Even by getting to you. She would never forgive herself if she kept you close and you ended up hurt. She cares about you, and so do I."_

A huff crackled through the phone.  _"It doesn't seem like it."_

_"Trust me, Jess might not show it but she's scared that you might get hurt. And when people get scared, they sometimes do things that might seem..."_

_"Unhinged?"_

_"Unhinged is one of them. But Jess and I just want to make sure that none of the stuff that we're dealing with won't hurt you."_

There was a pause in the line before Naruto uttered out  _"So, you guys don't hate me?"_

_"No! I don't hate you and neither does Jess. In fact, I think you might have replaced me as her favorite."_  Trish joked.

_"Oh, that's great! But I kinda just vandalized your building right now..."_

"You did what??"

Trish put the phone in her bag, running out of her apartment to check out the damage Naruto might have made. She opened the door, preparing herself for whatever damage the kid might have caused, just to see a lonesome figured sitting by her elevator.

It was the violent, ruthless ex-soldier that had helped Jess captured Kilgrave but also tried multiple times to kill Kilgrave himself: Will Simpson.

He is also her ex-boyfriend who had attacked her way more times than a normal person should.

Simpson stood up from his spot, a nervous smile pasted on his face.

"Can we talk?"

 

* * *

 

Naruto huffed as he stomped his feet, the sound resonating in the elevator.

He was super happy, but now he's super angry and super worried.

When he had called Ms. Trish, it was to brag about how he had scaled the building and ruined whatever artsy design it had going on with his graffiti. At best, he had hoped it would make her come down and yell at him. At worst, he feared she would hang up and call a window cleaner.

So, he was really happy when none of those things had happened. Instead, she told him that they weren't avoiding him because they wanted to but because they wanted to protect him. He didn't really know why, but he felt all giddy inside when she said that they cared for him.

But the anger set in when he realized that they thought he was weak. He was strong enough! He wasn't sure what had happened that had caused a dead body to land in Ms. Jess's bed but he felt some part of him break apart to see Ms. Jess yelling and crying like that. Finding out that it was that dickhead that caused it made him so angry that he saw red. Nothing would stop him from tearing him to pieces.

And then, there was worry. He was still on the phone with Ms. Trish when he heard her talk to her boyfriend. He didn't like him at all, especially since he heard that he had tried to kill Ms. Trish when they first met. But she told him that it was just a misunderstanding, so Naruto had backed down. From how it sounded now though, Ms. Trish didn't like him anymore and he wasn't leaving her alone. When he heard him use that weird tone while he was talking about Ms. Jess, he felt himself getting angry. It sounded like he wanted to kill her. Naruto couldn't let that asshole go anywhere near her. Then, he heard more noises, some gunshots, and the phone had cut off.

So here Naruto was, ready to beat the shit out of a crazy veteran.

When the elevator finally opened, he ran out to see a trail of blood leading into Ms. Trish's door.

It never occurred to him that he might have been too late.

His heart skipped a beat, as he thought back to how Ms. Trish was trying to warn him. She wasn't strong like Ms. Jess, anyone could attack her and she would end up ...

Naruto raced to the door and finding it unlocked, barreled inside. He followed the blood trail, heading towards the kitchen. As he stepped behind the kitchen counter, he ran into something hard and looked down to see two bodies stacked beside each other. Cold and dead. He stumbled away from the scene, nearly tripping on his feet as he backtracked. All of a sudden, he heard some noise from the other rooms. 

He followed the sound and as he came closer, the sound got clearer. Someone was grunting, pounding against something hard. He approached the door and grabbed the knob but it was locked shut. The door bulged against its screws, as the pounding turned frantic. Holding his breath, Naruto slipped into a fighting stance and rushed in, kicking the door off its latches. 

In front of him, Ms. Trish stood with shocked eyes as she held a lamp.

He felt air and pressure escaped through his lips. His shoulders sagged, relief rushing into him as he saw her.

"Naruto? What are you doing here??" She asked as she dropped the lamp.

She was safe. No blood, no injuries.

Alive.

At the sound of her voice, his emotions overwhelmed him and he rushed into her, hugging her and burying his face into her shirt. Despite his best efforts, his lips quivered as sobs escaped him and his eyes glistened with tears.

"Naruto, I ..."

_"I-I saw all the blood and the-the bodies and I couldn't find you and there was so much blood..."_  Words spewed out from his mouth, unbidden.

_"I...I thought you were dead."_  He wailed, his voice muffled by her damp shirt.

Feeling just as devastated, she hugged him back. Her arms wrapped around him, warming his gaunt frame. She ran battered fingers through his scalp, comforting him.

_"It's okay, I'm fine now."_  She said as she brought his face out from her shirt, watching as he wiped away his tears.

She wanted to spend more time but if she didn't hurry right that second, it might be too late. 

_"Listen, Naruto. I need to go stop Simpson. Go back home and if anyone asks, you weren't here."_

But Naruto shook his head, his face becoming redder than it already was.  _"No way! He's gonna try and hurt Ms. Jess, isn't he? I'll die before I let that happen!"_

He shook off the embrace and turned towards the door but she managed to grab his arm.

_"There's no way you're going there. Simpson is armed and dangerous. You're just a kid, Naruto!"_  She said.

_"He's gonna hurt Ms. Jess! I have to help her no matter what. Let me go!!"_  Naruto struggled against her grip.

She had never tried to control the kid before but this was one thing she had to put her foot down on.

But as she looked closely at him, she started to doubt if words would get through to him. His eyes weren't those bright blue anymore but a sinister purple (and slit??). The whisker-looking scars on his cheeks were looking more rough and dark than ever and his hair was rising as if he had just been electrified.

_"Let me go."_  His voice was gruff as shadows and anger danced on his face to create a sinister and ominous veneer.

With this, she decided to shift strategies.

_"Okay. But we're going together."_  She said and the boy nodded, though none of his facial appearances changed back to normal.

They rushed into her car and Trish drove as fast as she can. She didn't know if she would make it on time and she didn't know what the hell was going on with Naruto. Her mind flashed to all the times she had seen him done something extraordinary but every time she had asked about it, he would tell her it was his ninja skills. She had assumed that he just didn't know what had happened with him; he was "gifted" like Jess.

She glanced back to see him rap his fingers against the leather seats, claws scratching into it in agitation.

When did he get claws? She really hoped that she could lock him inside the car until it was all over.

When she reached the street of Jess's apartment, she braked too hard and crashed against the steering wheel. Unfortunately for her, Naruto wasn't as affected. Right as she stomped on the brakes, Naruto had slammed the door open and ran to the back of the apartment.

"Naruto!" She undid her seatbelt and ran out of the car. She didn't see him run into the building, so that was enough for her. After all, Jessica was the one in danger.

She dashed into the apartment, her fingers trembling as she kept tapping the button for the elevator. The apartment shook and gunshots rang out, piercing the peace.

Damn it! She doesn't have time for this!

She ran up the set of stairs, Wishing Jessica's apartment wasn't so high up.

As she bolted out from the staircase, she flinched from the sudden bullet that whizzed right beside her. She ducked down and sprinted down the hall, but not before grabbing a fire extinguisher.

The door to Jessica's apartment was wide open and Trish followed the clamor and havoc to find Simpson strangling Jessica.

She swung the fire extinguisher at his face, breaking the soldier's nose. As he fell to the ground, she ran to Jessica's side to help her up.

But Simpson sprung up in a second, his nose bloody and his eyes just as red. 

"Trish, I told-told you to stay out of this. I'm-I'm just doing wh-what needs to be done." He stuttered out.

Trish glanced back to see Jessica grunting in pain, her arms clutching her sides. 

That's right, Jessica got hit by a bus earlier today.

She could hear the cling wrap she had rolled around Jessica crackle, as Jess spat out blood. She wasn't in any condition to fight. To make matters worse, she could tell Simpson had taken those red soldier pills. His strength was enhanced, along with his aggression, and that made the match unfair.

But she could even the odds.

Without hesitation, she pulled out the pills that she had nabbed off Simpson earlier when he was injured, the medicine smooth against her fingers.

"Where-where did you get that?" Simpson asked, his mouth gaping.

Instead of responding, she popped the pills into her mouth, swallowed them up, and breathed in power.

Everything was clearer, sharper, and adrenaline poured into her veins with the speed and force of a hurricane. Simpson caught her eye and she smiled with her teeth bared.

She banged him against the wall, her fist driving into his face. She reveled in the feeling of his nose cracking once again. With his bloody face dominating her attention, she didn't see him lash out and kick at her knees. She doubled down in pain, gritting her teeth as he tried to push her aside.

But she could still feel strength urging her forward, her enemy only a strike away from falling to her feet. Powering through, she elbowed him in his chest, then punched him in the same place. He coughed out but she didn't let him rest. Her fist flew to his throat, watching as the man cough out air, his back hitting the floor. Her heart battered against her chest as she stomped on him, the impact cracking a rib. 

She fell to her knees, straddling him, and punched him once, then again. She was aiming for the third time to be the final hit when she heard Jessica cough out "It's enough!"

Her fist still raised, she turned towards Jess to see her stumbling to her feet, blood dribbling down to her chin.

"You got him, okay? You got him."

Her breath was still harsh, and her heart was still beating hard. She could feel energy coursing through her veins. There's no way that she's done. But he was done, right?

Wrong.

Trish fell against the wall as Simpson kicked her stomach. She saw spots in her vision, with an injured Jessica reaching out for her. Glancing back, she saw his face contort in fury. He snarled and pointed his gun at her, his finger already on the trigger.

Just as he was about to fire, something flew at his hand, slicing it, and knocking the gun away.

Everyone turned around to see the skilled marksman that had thrown the projectile. Instead, they saw Naruto panting hard with his fists clenched as he stood in the hallway.

Goddamn it...

Jessica looked at Simpson to see his pupils dilate on his newest target. He must be pumped up in so many fucking drugs that he can't fucking tell the difference between a threat and a fucking kid.

"Naruto, get out of here!!' She yelled but the boy didn't move. If only she knew Japanese...

But before she could get Trish's attention, Simpson charged at Naruto, his arms aiming for the boy's neck.

She watched as he got in reach, his fingers clenching as he anticipated warm flesh. But before she could blink, Naruto bent down and gave the man a devastating kick at his knees. He slumped down, writhing in pain. Almost tiptoeing, Naruto raised both of his fists over his head and bashed them over the man's back.

Simpson dropped with a thud, his body rolling as Naruto landed a kick at his sides.

Jessica froze, staring at Naruto with wide eyes as he ran over to her side, a stream of Japanese falling out of his lips as he fretted over her.

Maybe there's something wrong with her vision. Because there's no way she just saw a puny 13-year old knock out a veteran choking on steroids.

But then, Naruto gripped her arm and pulled her to her feet like it was effortless.

What the fuck ...

Her eyes refocused to see Naruto saying something, his brows furrowed.

"Okay?"

Before Jess could respond, she saw movement from the corner of her eyes. She and Naruto turned around to see Simpson rising up and running like an angry horse with broken joints.

Despite what she saw a few seconds ago, her reflexes overruled her logic and she grabbed Naruto, crouching over him to protect him from Simpson's charge. 

But instead of feeling the brunt of an attack, she felt slices of glass shards pour over her.

She stood from her position, shaking off the glass and letting Naruto slide out from under her, to see Trish breathing hard, her eyes dilated.

Spinning around, she spotted the broken window that Trish threw Simpson out of.

She could feel her eyes widening, her hands clasped over her head as if her brain needed something to support it from all the shit happening.

"Okay, are we all done with pulling moves out of our asses because I need to fucking breathe," Jess said.

Trish didn't blink, her eyes focusing on Jessica as she pulled a pill bottle from her pocket.

"It was these pills. The same one Simpson took. Jess, I feel so amazing. It's like I can do anything! Is this how it feels like for you too?" Trish asked as she bounced on her toes.

Jessica grabbed Trish's shoulders, watching as her sister's eyes unfocus. 

"You took that shithead's pills?! What the fuck, Trish! You don't know what the fuck is in there!" 

"It doesn't matter. You were injured and I needed to save you and Naruto. I had to help you!" Trish said, her hands shaking as she squirmed out of Jess's grip.

She had a point. Jessica wasn't sure she was going to make it before Trish came. But that doesn't change the fact that right now, Trish was currently high. 

"Trish, you need to calm down." Jess brought her hands out, reaching for the blonde.

"What? I don't need to calm down. I'm . . . I . . . I can't . . . breathe . . . " Trish fell to the ground, her body spasming.

She rushed over to Trish's side, shaking her body as it continued to twitch.

Someone crawled beside her, brushing against her shoulders. She whirled around to see Naruto lean forward, his lips gasping her name.

She wasn't sure it was worth it but hoping for some luck, she grabbed Naruto by his shoulders.

"Naruto, please, you have to call 911!" She yelled.

To her shock, she watched as Naruto pulled out his phone, and dialed that number.

While he did that, she ripped open Trish's shirt, her hands shaking as she attempted to do chest compressions. She didn't know what the hell she was doing; her knowledge of CPR was basically squat. 

The ambulance arrived quickly, hoisting Trish into the vehicle as she and Naruto filed inside.

"Can't you do something?! She's going to die!" Jessica yelled as Trish became pale.

"We can't do anything until we know what type of drug she took." One of the paramedics replied.

Type of drug? Not even Trish knew what type of drug she took? How the fuck is she supposed to know the type of drug she took?

"I don't know!" 

"Was it a hallucinogen? a depressant? Stimulant?" The paramedic asked as Trish's heartbeat started to ebb. 

"Uhhh..."

"Stimulant! A stimulant!" Naruto answered for her.

She thought about it. Trish threw a man twice her size out the window. That sounds like something a stimulant would do.

"Yeah, he's right; It was a stimulant!"

The paramedic filled liquid into a needle and injected it into Trish. At first, it seemed like it had no effect.

But suddenly, Trish's eyes blinked open as she gasped for air.

"Trish, Trish!" Jessica yelled out, grabbing her hand.

Trish's eyes rolled around, as her chest rose up and down. Finally, she set her sights on Jessica, her head nodding imperceptibly.

"Goddamn you. Always have to be a hero." Jess smiled, relief washing away worry.

Trish huffed as she felt Naruto slammed into her, crying and chattering excitedly. 

"Learned it from the best." She said as she slid her arm over his back.

It was a rough night, as she watched as the hospital staff settle Trish into a room. When Trish started to fall asleep, she decided to take it upon herself to return Naruto back home.

She had to struggle to get him out of the room, both of them yelling and disturbing the occupants of the other room next to them. Worse, they had almost got into a fight with the other patients, with Jessica becoming angry at the man's shouting and Naruto mimicking her. 

Eventually, she finally got him outside as she walked him back home.

It was late at night, with the streets just a little bit more empty as people crowded towards their apartment doors, and teens hung out around the steps of their friend's building. They were still cars out, but drivers weren't yelling at each other, and the sound of engines revving could seldom be heard over the chirps of moths clustering towards the street lamps.

The night was alive, but it was satisfied with its existence tonight.

Jessica peeked at Naruto, taking notice that for once, he didn't have his jacket on, but it was tied around his waist instead. Blue goggles were propped up to his forehead and there were paint splatters on his navy blue shirt. Obviously, he was having a busy time at Trish's apartment before shit happened.

But he wasn't bouncing along the sidewalk, skipping the cracks and lines. No, his head was bent down, brows creased, lips pressed together as he dragged his feet against the pavement. He didn't look like he would be doing any talking tonight. 

Okay, then. Jessica had a lot on her mind she wanted to get out.

"Wasn't today so fucking great? I spent half of my day searching for the corpse of the father of my abuser, and I spent the rest fighting off a doped up soldier that had the tendency to shoot first, ask questions later." She started, not quite used to voicing her thoughts.

"Then Trish had to take the fucking pills Simpson had, even though she had no fucking idea what was in them. I know she did it to save our lives, but what the fuck was she thinking? She could have given it to me, the freak that actually has superpowers and can handle those drugs, probably. At least she's stuck on bed rest and not getting herself killed. She's always trying to be a goddamn hero, never knowing when to step away. You're just like her too. Damn you two."

Jess sighed, the cold air turning her breath into mist.

"Honestly, I don't know what the hell I should do with you. Almost everyone I care about is dead, and the ones that aren't are stuck in the hospital. I don't want to be close to anyone, but then you and Trish keep running around, not giving up on me. Shouldn't you be gone, with the way I fucking screamed at you to get out? You know, any normal kid would have ran away, or even called the cops. But you're not normal, are you? You're a fucking 'ninja'."

She paused for a second, collecting her thoughts.

"Why do you guys keep chasing after me? I'm not worth it."

She woke from her reverie when she noticed Naruto had stopped walking.

She looked back to meet hardened eyes. His stare held her like a moth hovering to a flame. That childlike persona disappeared, and the face of someone who met Death and spat on them materialized instead. She took a breath — or maybe he stole it — and regarded his narrowed eyes and clenched fists.

"I'll never give up on the people I'll care about." He spoke out.

There was a confidence so unwavering in that tone, like she could hit rock bottom, take out a shovel, dig until her hands bled from the action, ruminate in her misery, crawl out from the hole she dug herself in, and still find him standing in the edge with his hand stretched out.

The idea of that rattled her, touched her in a way that alcohol and sex could never do.

She leaned forward, staring into his blue eyes.

"Can you speak English?" She asked, watching closely for his movements.

He perked up, a smile blossoming into his face. 

"Nope!"

Jessica sighed as she slumped her shoulders.

It seems that he recognized some words and phrases and learned how he would respond to them. It would explain how he could call the paramedics, or answer some of their questions, ignoring the fact that he probably shouldn't know the types of drugs.

The fact that he had such a strong response to her previous question meant that either someone was probably asking it a lot or it's something very important to him.

Knowing him, it's probably both.

Jessica watched as he started to speak Japanese, flailing his arms around, maybe telling her about how crazy the day has been.

He was starting to bounce in steps, his voice reaching decibels that had residents slamming their windows shut in irritation. When his eyes spotted an ice-cream store, they almost bulged out of his head. He grabbed her hand and started to drag her over there, fussing as drool rolled out his mouth. 

Like the moon peeping out from the shroud of clouds in the night sky, a smile bloomed on Jessica's face.

Naruto Uzumaki, it looks like, had become another person she gave a damn about.

 

* * *

 

Sasuke's head has been aching ever since that fateful day. The nun suggested it was migraines, but he didn't think so. These pain came in waves, sometimes harsh, sometimes soft. 

Right now, as he stalked the dark green car driving in the streets, his mind was blank; no pain, no thoughts.

His mind kept flashing to a forest landscape, bugs chirping as a bell rung. But the scenes were few and slippery; they danced out of his grip, reclining back into the space of unconsciousness.

But that wasn't important, so he let sleeping dogs lie.

The car took a sharp turn, deviating from the path that would take it to the fire station. Rather, it kept going straight, accelerating and making it harder for him to track her. The car turned at every fork, taking them in a circle. He narrowed his eyes, as he weaved through the same crowd again. The roads started to lose their black sheen, and the apartments became shadier as she kept driving. He kept up, his eyes fixated on that car as it veered off the main road.

He dashed around another building, but jumped up to catch himself on one of the bricks pushed more outwards than the rest. He took up a sharp breath and jumped, propelling himself by pushing down on the brick, to land on the window ledge.

He hid inside the shadows, watching as Ms. Rambeau pulled up into an alley.

She stepped out from the car, her brown trench coat flowing in the air as she strolled over to the middle of the alley.

Dark eyes scanned the apartments, searching for any sound or movement. Air swirled around as she took in it, her fist clenched.

She banged a fist against the hood of her car, the sound smashing the silence in the alley.

"Okay, whoever the hell you are, following me around, here I am! You have a bone to pick with me, then come here and pick it, because I am tired of cleaning up all your damn surprises. Messing up my stuff, sabotaging my work, stalking me— it all ends now! I know you followed me here, so come out because I'm not afraid of you!" She yelled in the air, her words crashing into him.

She was wide open, her fists clenched with anger but no weapons. Resolve ran through her, protected her from intimidation. 

But her skin was still soft, easily torn and pierced.

But he didn't want to hurt her.

"She's not afraid." A voice whispered, light and breathy.

"You've been too soft. What happened to the edge you had, the ruthlessness?" They said.

"I'm not soft." Sasuke gritted out.

"Then stop playing around and take what you want!"

His jaw clenched, body shaking as he bent down. 

What does he want?

"She's gonna take what belongs to you. You're gonna let her hurt you? You're not gonna stop her?"

"Shut up!" Sasuke pulled out his kunai, staring hard at the steel weapon.

It was still sharp. He could still see the ridges on the edge, from slicing and piercing and shredding. It had lost its luster; iron and copper painting it in uneven splotches. His grip tightened and loosened, going back and forth like a pendulum.

He looked back at her. Eyes resolute and gleaming. Anger erupted and threatened to tear at his seams. Seeing her face as she was about to rip apart his life. He wanted it to stop. But, how would it look like to see those dark eyes bloodshot, empty and still as life spilled out of her body and onto the concrete? Her brown trench coat ruined by the stench and filth only blood can make. A dead body left in a dark alley.

Anger and fear tugged at him, ripping his mind to shreds as they wrestled for control.

"Why are you hesitating?!" Anger trickled into their voice. "Why are you making things so fucking difficult? You know you want to kill her!"

"I don't!"

"You do! You can't lie to me! I know who you are. I know all you want to do is throw that kunai and watch it slide across her neck. Why are you holding yourself back!"

"I'm going too far!" His voice rang out in the alley, giving out his position. His skin shivered as he sensed eyes brown eyes focusing on him.

"There's no such thing as going too far. Those are only limits you put on yourself. Aren't you angry at the world? Pay it back in return and get what you deserve."

The kunai dropped onto the window, and Sasuke glared at them, black eyes meeting a white mask.

"I won't go against who I am just to kill without remorse."

"Who are you? What makes you Sasuke Uchiha?" They asked, the grey bells tied around their wrist ringing in the air. 

They clacked together, the sound triggering the alarms in his head.

"Hey! Who are you?" Ms. Rambeau called out.

Sasuke's mind flashed through the forest again, someone in an orange hoodie fretting with the bells tied to his wrist.

Those same bells jingled now, ringing as he could almost see the forgotten memories returning.

"Who are you?" Sasuke repeated the question and aimed it at them.

They faced him, their body hidden in an orange hoodie and white blank mask.

_"_ I am the end. _"_  They placed on finger on Sasuke's forehead, their other hand forming a hand sign.

_"And I will prevail."_  

Something buzzed through his head, and everything went dark.

 

* * *

 

Monica watched as one of the boys fell off the window, their body plummeting through the air.

She ran towards the building, her arms outstretched.

Right on time, his body collided with her arms, the force pushing both of them to the ground. 

Monica grunted as her arms protested in pain. Shaking it off, she looked down to examine the boy in her lap.

He looked young, maybe 13. His face was pale and pitch-black bangs swept over his face, as he laid there, still as if he's asleep.

Fabric crumpled as a breeze flew by, catching Monica's attention. She lifted her head to see the other kid jump down the window, his body falling fast, only to land upright on his feet without a thud.

Monica stood up, carrying the boy with black hair in her arms. When she drove out to this alley, she wasn't sure what she expected to see. Maybe no one would come out. Maybe a gang, or some disgruntled acquaintance she hasn't seen in years. 

Nothing would have prepared her to see a kid jump off at a window at least 10 feet (3 meters) high and land without a scratch.

Worse, it seems he has ill intentions from the way he's facing her, brandishing the steel weapon in his hand.

She was completely disadvantaged, her arms full and lacking any weapons. Not that she was exactly willing to fight a child, though.

"If someone is virtuous, then what is their counterpart?" The kid asked, their voice hidden behind a white mask and an orange hoodie jacket.

Monica thought about her answer, relieved that they haven't started swinging yet.

"Corrupt." She decided.

There was a pause, the child tilting their head as they ruminated her answer.

"I'm corrupt." They finally said.

Before she could respond to that, she twisted around to avoid the object they threw at her. She looked back to see a dark blue book-bag with a yellow tag attached. When she turned around again, the kid was gone.

Monica slumped her body, leaning against her car. She blinked a few times, shaking her head to see if something would change.

But no, whoever that was is no longer here in the alley. Standing in front of her in one second, gone the next.

Okay, she had a few seconds to wonder, but now she has to get her wits together. She has seen aliens before, for Pete's sake! It's been a while since something weird happened to her but she gotta take it in stride. 

Plus, she had an unconscious kid in her arms. 

She laid him down in the backseat of her car and then picked up the bag the kid had thrown.

And the yellow tag that had his address on it. Bingo.

Oh wait, this is the address to the foster home. 

Even better.

She opened the door to the backseat, examining the boy in her car to make sure he's not dying or anything.

She was glad that she took up her mom's offer and allowed her to pay off the deductible so she could get a new car. She didn't like depending on her mom, but she didn't take no for an answer, telling her to consider it an early birthday present. It had been a sweet moment, something that pushed her to get to the bottom of this. Well, now she had to make sure this kid wasn't unconscious.

His breathing was normal, his chest rising up and down. She put a hand to his forehead but he wasn't running any fever. There weren't any weird spots or bruising as far as she could tell. With everything considered, he looked like he was just sleeping. 

But she shook him around and he wouldn't wake up. 

Giving up, she sighed and pulled out her phone to call the nun. Maybe this is normal for the boy. Plus, she probably shouldn't drop off the kid unconscious without any context. 

"Hey, Sister Mae? This is Monica Rambeau." She rushed into the conversation as soon as she heard the phone click.

"Oh, Ms. Rambeau! It's always a pleasure to hear from you. What can I do for you?"

"It's more like what I can do for you. I kinda found one of your kids passed out in the alley."

"What? Describe them."

Monica glanced back to the figure in her car. "He's a boy. Pale skin. Black hair. Maybe 12 or 13. He's wearing a dark blue turtleneck and black shorts."

The nun released a heavy sigh, the exhaustion in it ebbing over Monica.

"I know who he is. If you don't mind, do you think you can drop him off here, please? I rather not get the police involved." She pleaded.

"Not a problem. I'll head over there right now." She hung up, weariness started to creep in.

But never one to complain, she drove over to the foster home, her mind wandering as she kept thinking about the day's events. She was so out of it, she didn't notice the speed bump in the road. Her car ran over it too fast, causing her and Sasuke to bang their head against the car roof. Monica groaned as one hand rubbed against the bump that was now forming.

However, she stopped lamenting when she heard another voice grunt in pain.

Luckily, she had just reached the foster home so she pulled up, shutting the car off. Her head swiveled around to see the boy rise up from the back seat, looking around his surroundings in confusion. She sighed again, not really looking forward to this conversation, but it had to be done and she didn't want to burden the nun.

She got out from the front seat and went into the car through the back seat. She sat down, facing the boy as he stared back at her wearily.

"Hey. Do you know who I am?" She asked, trying to get a feel of things.

The boy looked back at her with a vacant expression, his face too blank to reveal his thoughts.

"Yes." He answered. No movements to betray what he's thinking.

There was a pause in the conversation, Monica waiting for him to elaborate.

After a few more seconds of silence, Monica realized that's all he was going to say. 

Pulling teeth is easier than this.

But she really wanted to resolve this by talking if she can. So she took a breath and powered forward.

"Okay. Since I don't know much about you, I'll introduce myself and you can introduce yourself to me. My name is Monica Rambeau, but you can call me Ms. Rambeau." She said.

He started to shift around, his face underlined with discomfort. "Sasuke Uchiha." 

Okay, they got through that. Here's the hard part.

"So Sasuke, do you mind telling me why you've been following me around the past week?"

A snort filled the car. "You have no proof of that."

She could feel anger rising up but she pushed it down. "Really, so you didn't graffiti my window."

"No."

"Pour paint all over my plants?"

"No."

"Fill my car engine's with stones?"

"No."

"Draw mustaches all over my pictures in the fire station?"

"No."

Monica was gritting her teeth now, focusing so hard to not get angry that she missed the brief look of confusion that occasionally passed over Sasuke's face.

"Eat all the tomatoes in my fridge and throw a rock at my mother?"

Sasuke sat up straight now, his eyes narrowing.

"I didn't do anything to your mom." He defended himself.

Monica withheld a smile. "So you admit you went through my fridge?"

Sasuke paused, his mind realizing the slip he made, and he slumped back in the seat, his arms crossed.

"I've had better tomatoes." He commented.

It took up a lot more energy than she would like to admit to not shout this. "Then why were you rummaging through my fridge? Why were you doing all that stuff?" 

"I didn't do all those stuff. It was that other kid. I don't even know him."

"But you were talking to him."

"He came up to me."

"Then tell me about the conversation that was so interesting then," Monica said, crossing her arms.

Sasuke leaned back into his seat, his facial expressions disappearing like someone had wiped it off. His lips thinned, no words escaping.

So he wasn't talking. That's fine. Judging by what happened at the end, it looks like he really didn't know the boy anyway. She'll have to find and cross that bridge later. 

She leaned in forward, as her dark eyes scrutinized Sasuke's frame.

"Okay then, forget about the other kid. You still had your own fun. I want to know why," 

He shifted his eyes, trying to avoid eye contact with her.

"To run you out of town." He said, his voice notably lower than before.

Okay, that was worse than she thought it would be. But it didn't seem mindless so maybe it was personal,

"Why do you want to run me out of town?" She asked.

He sunk even lower into the seat, his head bowed down as he mumbled something.

" .. .... . .. ..... "

She narrowed her eyes. "Sorry, I didn't catch that."

"So you won't adopt Kiku." His voice was still soft but she could hear what he said.

"You don't want me to adopt Kiku?"

"I don't want anyone to adopt Kiku! We're fine by ourselves!" 

Ourselves? When she was scheduling all those appointments, they didn't say Kiku had another family member.

The sound of a fist clenching fabric drew her away from her thoughts, revealing a red-faced, glaring Sasuke. She must have spoken her thoughts aloud.

"She does, and I won't let you take her away from me." He yelled.

"Calm down!"

"No! We were fine before you came. I was fine before you came! But now everything's all fucked—"

"HEY!—"

"So what if I use 'bad language', it doesn't matter! Because you're gonna take Kiku away and I'll be all alone again!" He screamed, his voice becoming hoarse. 

Panting hard, he lifted his head up to look at her but his vision was blurry. His hands trembled as he brought it up to his face, as tears gathered up in his eyes and flowed down his hands.

"Wh-Why am I crying?" He hiccuped. He rubbed at his face, wiping harder and harder as more tears poured out even though he shouldn't be crying and somehow, he had let out a whimper.

Monica wasn't sure what to do, but she couldn't just sit there and watch him fall apart.

Her hands were suddenly turned into lead, slow and heavy as she picked up his hands and folded her own onto his.

At this, he startled.

Sasuke gazed down at their conjoined hands, tears dripping down and wetting them. He didn't recognize this. This action, this warmth that caused his fingers to curl up into her palms. 

How long has it been since he has ever wanted to hold someone's hand?

Hurt and anguish bubbled up in his chest, eroding him from the inside. He doubled down in agony, his forehead bumping their held hands.

Another shock went through him as he felt one of her hands draw away from his, reaching up to his head and guiding him towards her lap. But he didn't fight it, he let his head rest on a warm lap and tears that stung his shut eyes burst out.

Monica watched as he started to cry, whimpers and sobs racking his body as he laid on her lap.

She ran her fingers through his black hair, but her mind was buzzing away with phrases.

What can she possibly say? "It's alright."? "You're gonna be okay."? "I understand how you feel,"?

Nothing felt right to her.

So she kept her mouth shut, staying by his side until his cries had started to die down.

Eventually, he rose up from her lap, silent as he used his shirt to clean off his face.

"Are you going to tell the sister about what I did?" He asked, his voice quiet and unsure.

"No. I'm just wanted to know why you did it."

Sasuke nodded and got out of the car. As he picked up his book bag, he looked back at Monica with that vacant expression again.

"I won't disturb you anymore." With that, He walked up to the apartment and knocked on the door.

She watched Sister Mae come out, gasping and pulling him inside. She watched the nun smiled at her, shutting the door a few seconds later.

She watched the apartment building, suffering from the vicious tug-of-war her heart and mind fighting in.

For the next hour, she thought, and she pondered, and she mused, and she deliberated.

Finally, all her thoughts ran dry, her brain taking too much damage. That's probably why she walked up to the door of the apartment and rang the bell.

The door opened in a second, with sister Mae greeting her again with a smile.

"Ms. Rambeau, it's nice to see you again today. How can I help you?" The nun tilted her head as she squinted her eyes.

She wanted to say something casual, like 'It's more like how I can help you.'.

But her mind and heart are all jumbled up.

So instead, she said:

"I want to adopt another kid."

 

* * *

 

Naruto did not like his caretaker.

But today, he annoyed the shit out of him as he yelled, gestured, and practically drew what he wanted the bastard to do.

Luckily, the man finally got the message as his caretaker grumbled, turning on the TV and setting it to the news station.

As soon as the TV turned on, the screen was covered with a picture of Jessica Jones.

”That’s her! That’s Ms. Jess!” He screamed out, attracting all the other kids come to see the commotion.

”Holy shit!” His caretaker dropped the can of Red Bull on the table and leaned in, recognizing the woman that nearly slammed his body through a wall.

”What does it say?! What does it say?!” Naruto asked, but as he was speaking Japanese, everyone ignored him.

Whatever Ms. Jess did, it was enough to shook all the kids in the home. Everyone was screaming and gasping, the voices getting louder as the news reporter kept talking.

Even though Naruto knew he had been warned several times by his therapist not to talk to him, he still called out for Kurama.

“Hey, Ku-man! Do you know what’s going on?!” He asked, his voice too low to hear over the noise.

He could hear a yawn, the fox waking up from whatever nap he took.

”Don’t call me that! How many times will I tell you I’m not your personal translator?” Kurama huffed.

”I don’t even ask that much. Only like once a week and I haven’t asked recently. Come on, I need to know!” Naruto whined.

Kurama paused and Naruto could tell the old fox was rolling his eyes. 

”Something about that Jessica killing the other guy. Kilgrave, it sounds like.” He answered, his voice getting graver as if he was falling asleep.

But Naruto was so happy, he let out a whoop of joy.

Yes, the purple man was dead!

He bounced out from the couch, pumping his fist in the air. Jessica had saved the day.

As Naruto's eyes crinkled up as he jumped around, the caretaker, growing more unnerved by the second.

Never in his life had he seen a child celebrate someone being brutally murdered. He was 100% sure that if the man's corpse had somehow landed in their living room, the boy would have spat on it and used the body as his dance floor.

But with everything that happened, it got less and less surprising.

He turned back to the TV, the mugshot of Jessica Jones flashing again.

It seems like those two are cut from the same thread.

Gifted. Ever since The Battle of New York, he has been encountering all these types of people. He just wanted a normal life. Spending time with his lovely fiancee as they plan their life together with kids all abound.

But now he's alone. What was once a myth soared in the sky and set New York in flames. 

The love of his life had perished in the carnage.

Sadly, it seems he was fireproof.

The world is changing, and all these people with abilities are coming out into the open. He didn't want to change. He wanted to stay in the small bubble of grief that he had worked hard to create.

But it was people like him that dragged him out.

He watched as the kids started to play a game with the blond runt. They were jumping on the furniture, desperately trying not to step on the ground.

The caretaker rose up and threw the Red Bull into the trash.

It's time to let some fresh air in.

 

* * *

 

Sasuke adjusted the straps of his bookbag, looking around as more people passed him.

All the public schools in New York started and ended at the same time, and he was at the place where Naruto would usually linger around. He should be coming around.

After all, he was close to Naruto's school district.

Finally, Sasuke spotted an orange jacket, the figure wearing it walking through the crowd, their hands sticking into their jackets.

Everything within him stopped moving when he met those blue eyes, now hardened in rage.

Naruto stalked towards him, his face contorting and reddening as more fury upwelled.

_"Teme! What the fuck is wrong with you?! Avoiding me and ignoring my calls for weeks?! You think you can just show up now?!"_

_"I'm sorry."_

Naruto blinked, his eyelashes fluttering once, then twice. Every curse word that was burning on his tongue cooled down from hearing that phrase. No, his ears weren't working.

Sasuke Uchiha does not apologize.

But here he was, bundling up in a black turtleneck, his head bowed from . . . shame?

_"What-what did you say?"_

_"I'm sorry."_

There it was again. Sasuke saying sorry. No, this was a clone— a bad one.

_"There's no way you're Sasuke."_

The boy in front of him snorted in a very Sasuke way.

_"Is it really unbelievable that I'm apologizing?"_  He asked.

_"Yeah. Someone could tell me I'm actually Irish and I would be less surprised, ya'know?"_

Sasuke trudged his feet around in a tiny circle.

Naruto watched, enthralled by the unusual display of emotions Sasuke was showing.

_"I avoided you and that hurt you. I . . . I . . . I don't . . . want to hurt you anymore."_  Sasuke said, his face turning red.

Naruto's face blew up like a balloon, embarrassed to feel his own cheeks heating up. Whatever plan Sasuke was pulling off, he wasn't going to fall into it that easily.

_"It doesn't matter because I don't accept your apology. Ha!"_  Naruto crossed his arms and turned his head away.

But then, he heard the sound of liquid swooshing and it caught his attention.

_"Then I'll just go home, eat this lunch pack full of ramen—"_  Sasuke started to say but he was cut off as Naruto slung an arm around him, fixating on the bag.

_"All is forgiven! Next time I'll just beat you up before you start your emo angst trip. Is that pork I smell? Sasuke, you're the best!"_  Naruto exclaimed, leading them towards his apartment.

_"It's nice to know you're simple enough to be bought by food,"_  Sasuke said, secretly relieved Naruto had taken his peace offering.

_"You can't fool me, Sas. I already know your secret: you're a big softie!"_  Naruto grinned.  _"Look! You bought me the extra-large! You must love me!"_

_"Shut up! It was discounted."_

_"There's extra meat in here too!"_

_"A chef's special."_

_"Why is there a note here? It says: For those we truly care about."_

_"I don't know how that ended up in there."_

Naruto laughed, shaking Sasuke as his arms trembled from the movement.

_"Don't worry, I missed you too."_  Naruto giggled.

Sasuke huffed, turning his head so he wouldn't look at Naruto.

He still let the blond's arm remain over his shoulder though.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again Tired.
> 
> Comments and Kudos are very appreciated!
> 
> Skit:
> 
> Monica: I'm going off to work, is there anything you want me to get for you?
> 
> Sasuke: Tomatoes. Raw.
> 
> Monica: Like that's it? The vegetable just like that?
> 
> Sasuke: It's a fruit.
> 
> Monica: (stalking off) That doesn't mean you can eat out of it like it's a damn apple...


	10. Step Nine: Keep Your Guard Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is trying to adjust but new and exciting things keep happening. Sasuke keeps thinking too much and Naruto doesn't think enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm here! I'm back! I'm sick of everything! Additional skit because I’m nice and I forgot to write in Matt in this chapter
> 
> Matt: This city is full of darkness, evil flowing in every street. I’ve tried all I can to save it but it doesn’t need the other me any more. It needs Matt Murdock.
> 
> Father Landon: I’m glad you reached that realization but I was asking you if you wanted sugar in your coffee...
> 
> Matt: Oh yeah, sure.
> 
> Father Landon: One scoop or two?
> 
> Matt: I wonder sometimes if I did the right thing, fighting throughout the night and coming back home to wash my bruised knuckles—
> 
> Ok I’m done. Onwards

************ Big Author's Note Because I'm Indecisive:

New Conversation Conventions for Kurama:

**"Give into my power and your hatred."** \- Kurama talking to Naruto

_**"I'll rip you to shreds and feed on your pathetic remains."**_ \- Kurama talking to anyone else.

'So do you know the answer to this question?' - Naruto 'thinking' to Kurama

*************

Sasuke leaned against the bed, notebooks and maps scrawled over his lap.

Naruto wasn’t as relaxed, his eyes squinting as he struggled over a green textbook.

Learning English was not only hard but boring.

He was much more interested in the stuff Sasuke was doing, but the bastard had refused to talk to him until he had finished his homework. Why he cared whether Naruto did his work or not was a puzzle Naruto didn't care about deciphering.

They were staying in Naruto’s room, both of them sitting down on his bed. The orange bedsheets and blue blankets rumpled with each second of Naruto's fidgeting, all of which Sasuke ignored.

_”Ugh! That's it, I’m taking a break!”_   Naruto shouted, throwing his textbook onto the floor.

With a huff, he splayed out on the bed, his eyes meeting black ones before they returned their attention to a notebook, a snort added in response.

_”Come on! Lemme help. I’ll do homework later.”_   Naruto pressed, rolling around to Sasuke's side.

_”No,"_   Sasuke said after a few seconds of enduring Naruto's pokes, _"You need to get better at English so I can stop being your translator.”_

Naruto narrowed his eyes. _“I never asked you to translate for me.”_

Sasuke didn’t bother to look at him, instead flipping a page. _“Yes, you did. Multiple times, moron.”_

Anger sparked through his body like an overloaded fuse. Gritting his teeth, Naruto grabbed a pillow and jumped on Sasuke, trying to suffocate him with the cushion.

_”Asshole! I’ll end you!”_   He pushed the pillow into the other boy’s face, but Sasuke kicked his stomach, pushing him off.

Naruto groaned from the impact, only to screech when a pillow smacked his face.

His face, red from embarrassment and fury, zoomed in on Sasuke, the boy smirking as he held another pillow.

Oh, it was on!

All the books were thrown aside as they fell into a pillow fight. The bed squeaked as they jumped and pummeled each other. Soon, the fight became less fluffy and more painful as they abandoned the pillows to use their fists instead. They wrestled on the bed, squabbling like angry pigeons fighting over bread crumbs.

Finally, the fight ended with Sasuke straddling Naruto, the blond’s head hanging over the edge of the bed.

_”Give up. It’s over.”_   Sasuke tightened his grip on the idiot, to show how helpless he was.

_”I’ll never give up! That’s my ninja way!”_ Naruto screeched, his head dangling.

Their eyes met, both of them daring the other to make a move.

Suddenly, Sasuke let go of Naruto, crawling away from him.

Naruto stared at Sasuke, tilting his head and widening his eyes. He was thrown for a loop, trying to figure out why Sasuke had given up or why he felt so much colder.

Unfortunately, he didn’t notice pale hands coming towards him until it was too late.

He was pushed off the bed, his body colliding with the floor.

_”Teme!”_ His lips flew into that familiar insult.

Sasuke looked down from his spot on the bed, his chin jutting out.

_”Usurakontachi.”_ He called out, voice dripping with smugness.

Indignation coursed through his veins, inciting him. He sat up, ready to start round two when he felt a paper crinkle underneath his hand.

Grabbing it, he peered down at the amateur drawing of the kid dressed in an orange hoodie jacket similar to his.

_”This is the guy, huh?”_ Naruto asked.

Climbing up the bed, he brought out the sketch. Sasuke regarded it with cool eyes.

_”It looks like they’re not just something my subconsciousness created.”_   Sasuke responded, his brows furrowing as he thought back to that day.

How could they have knocked Sasuke out without throwing a punch?

_"Maybe they're from our past? They were wearing the same type of clothing we were wearing when we first woke up in New York."_ Naruto laid his back down on a pillow, his finger counting the dirt flecks stuck to the ceiling.

Sasuke sat up with that statement, swiveling around to face Naruto. _"How do you know what he was wearing?"_

Naruto frowned, he had focused on the shift in Sasuke's tone and lost count of the dirt flecks. _"They were in that forest place, ya' know? And people say I have bad memory..."_

Sasuke's eyes widened. _"You were in my dreams?"_

_"No! You were in mine!"_   Naruto squawked.

_"It was my dreams."_   Sasuke reiterated.

_"No, why would I want to be in your creepy dreams? It was definitely mine!"_

_"Moron, I know how my dreams look like."_

_"Bastard!"_

_"Dimwit."_

_"Asshole!"_

_"Idiot!"_

_"Hey, how did they enter our dreams anyway?"_   The question broke through Naruto's train of thought.

Sasuke blinked, a little put off on how quickly the subject changed. But as he thought about it, he realized Naruto had a point. 

_"I think that they might be more powerful than we realized."_   Sasuke offered up a vague statement, his mind running through all the possibilities.

Naruto's eyes squinted and his face twisted up as he thought more about that kid. There was something that was really bugging him but it might just be in his head. It was kinda meaningless when he thought about everything else that happened but somehow, that issue was the only one he could focus on. It wasn't really an issue. It was a slight detail, finicky on his part.

_"Hey . . . why do we keep calling them 'them'? I mean, it's just something my mind thought of as soon as I noticed them, but why?"_   Naruto asked.

_"I’m not going to answer why your brain thinks the way it does, but when I actually saw them, I just thought it would be appropriate to use ‘them’. I don't think they're a girl or a boy. They're them."_   Sasuke answered.

Naruto's brows furrowed to form a v-shape. _"I bet they used some type of mind powers to put that fact in our heads, dattebayo!"_

But as he said this, his mind went another way. A realization that some people aren't boys or girls. 

_"Do you think . . . they're evil . . . because . . . they're not a boy or girl?"_   Naruto asked, an uncharacteristic hesitation creeping up in his tone.

Sasuke noticed this but scoffed. _"People are evil because they're evil, moron."_

Naruto glossed over the insult, focusing on the words before it. So possibly, just maybe, there’s a chance, that even though he's not a bad guy, he can, perhaps, not be . . .

Okay. He tucked that idea into a mental trunk and buried it in his brain somewhere, promising himself that he'll revisit those thoughts later in the dead of night.

_"Besides..."_   Sasuke said, unaware of Naruto's thoughts, _"Are they really evil?"_

Naruto bounced up with that statement. _"They want to kill people!"_

Sasuke rose an eyebrow. _"So did I."_ He pointed out.

Naruto deflated at this, falling back on the bed.

_"And I followed through on it. Doesn't that mean I'm evil?"_

Sasuke knew that he was just provoking another argument but he couldn't rid himself of the urge. There was a side of him, he didn't really know how big or small it was, just that it was there. A side of him that made him think that maybe after all the stuff he's done, he doesn't deserve the freedom he has now. He doesn't deserve the house he's in, the food he's eating, the friendship he has with Naruto. He doesn't deserve anything. He should be locked up in jail with the key thrown away. 

Maybe even more.

_"That's different!"_   Naruto exclaimed.

_"How?"_

_"You wanted to get justice. They just like killing people! Killing = evil!"_

_"You're contradicting yourself."_

_"I'm not! It's just...UGH!"_   Naruto gripped his head, frustration piling up as he tried to sort out his words.

But after a second, he bounced up with his face more determined. _"Okay! They're evil because they want to kill people for stupid reasons. They're doing it because they like it. You don't. You and he are different, okay!?"_

At this point, Sasuke didn't bother to refute him.

Because maybe they aren't so different. Because just a few weeks ago, he was teetering on that line, vengeance and pleasure warped and twisted in his mind.

And there was a good chance it would always be that way.

_"I shouldn't have killed in the first place,"_ Sasuke whispered.

Did he regret killing that officer? Yes. But not because he didn't think he deserved it. But because it fucked him up so bad that murder wasn't as taboo anymore. It felt justifiable, like another option on his plate he could take.

That scared him, but not as much as it would if Naruto figured out he was thinking like this. How he would react.

He shouldn't care about his opinion. He shouldn't.

Yet, he didn't voice his thoughts, letting Naruto go on a rant about how it was the heat of the moment, it wasn't fair, people have to have justice.

But his justice was a double-edged sword, it ended one life and now he was left, hanging by a thread.

_”Sas, hello?? Didn’t you hear what I said?”_ Naruto’s voice was a lifesaver from the thoughts that were drowning him.

_”Hn.”_ Sasuke kept his response short and simple, hiding the fact he wasn’t listening.

_“Bastard! I asked if you wanted to go down to Harlem with me today.”_

_”Why would I do that?”_

Naruto jumped in place, shaking the bed. “ _Haven’t you been checking the news? There’s this dude called Luke Cage and his skin is so tough that bullets bounce off him! I wanna try and meet him!”_

_”Don’t you remember the last time we looked for a vigilante?”_

Naruto shot him a sly grin. _“You mean the time we got to beat up ninjas?”_

Hm. He did enjoy beating up people.

_”Fine. But I’m leaving at 6. I don’t want to skip curfew.”_   Sasuke decided.

Naruto blinked at him, eyelashes fluttering as he stared at Sasuke, mouth agape.

Suddenly, he broke into laughter.

_”Hahaha! The great Uchiha! Having a curfew! HA!”_   Naruto guffawed, the idea of Sasuke actually listening to someone so damn funny.

Sasuke crossed his arms. _“Are you done?”_

But Naruto was still laughing, with coughs interrupting in the middle of his chuckles.

Eventually, he calmed down, only a little giggle leaving his lips every now and then.

_”Okay, I’m done. When did you start to listen to people? Especially adults!”_   Naruto asked.

Sasuke was still frowning, wondering whether the fool deserved an answer. 

Instead of responding, he said something much more petulant.

_”I don’t want to go with you anymore.”_

Naruto stopped the rest of his giggles, shocked once again.

_”You have to! I heard from somebody’s cousin’s mother’s brother’s barber that he’s going to bust a drug base and we have to watch!”_

Sasuke refused to answer, his lips sealed shut as Naruto shook his shoulders.

_”This will be the fight of a lifetime! Don’t you want to see a bulletproof man, you sensitive asshole? A bulletproof man!”_

Sasuke was starting to see stars in his vision, so he slapped Naruto’s hands off him. 

_“Are you sure he’s bulletproof, or he has impenetrable skin?”_

Naruto scratched his head. _“I don’t know, is there a difference?”_

_”If someone is bulletproof, that means that he’s not affected by guns. If someone has impenetrable skin, then that means that almost all weapons will be useless against him.”_

Naruto's eyes widened, his brain catching up to what Sasuke said. _”Wait, wait, wait. So . . . You’re saying, that if I throw a kunai at him...”_

Sasuke sat up, packing up all his stuff. _“Let’s go now. I want to see it in action.”_

_”What? I thought you didn’t want to go?”_

_“Why wouldn’t I want to see a guy reflect my shurikens without moving?”_

Naruto sputtered, rolling out of the bed.

_”You bastard ... you were just pretending!”_   He pointed a finger at him, his eyes set in a glare.

As Naruto watched Sasuke packed up his notebooks into his bag, a thought occurred to him.

Actually, they were a lot of thoughts going through him.

Mainly, he wanted to ask Sasuke how it felt to be adopted. Even if he’s such a prickly bastard, it must have felt nice for someone to personally welcome him into their family.

Sasuke is always surrounded by people that like him.

But it’s not like he would answer that question. He'll just do his little "hn" thing and pretend Naruto didn't ask anything. It was kinda unfair how lucky he was. Naruto would probably never get adopted. And yeah, he’s a little okay with that, but it would still be nice. But then again, Ms. Jess and Ms. Trish didn’t seem like they were the adopting types. At least they were always around.

So he talked about a lighter topic.

_”Hey, do you think he’ll agree to us testing out our weapons on him?”_

Sasuke pulled out a large Fuma Shuriken, folded it up, and packed it in his bag.

_“No.”_

Just then, the caretaker opened the door, settling his sights on Sasuke and giving him the nastiest glare that Naruto has ever seen.

Well, at least there was somebody that didn’t like Sasuke.

”I ought to call the police on you.” He spat out, his eyes burning with hatred.

Sasuke made a face at him, his snobby attitude already poisoning the air.

”What are you going to tell them? You got beat up by a thirteen-year-old Japanese kid?”

The man huffed, knowing he was beaten. “Tell that runt that wherever the hell he’s going, he has to be back by 8. Else, I’m locking the door.” He snarled at Sasuke, slamming the door shut.

Naruto flopped back on the bed. _“Told you. Shouldn’t have tortured him.”_

_“Shut up. If you don't come back by 8, you're going to get locked out."_

_"What?! Damn it! I have a curfew too . . . "_   Naruto rolled around, his legs kicking the bed frame.

"This is your fault." His voice muffled underneath the pillow. _"You're such a jackass."_

_"At least I'm not a dumbass,"_ Sasuke responded.

Naruto threw another pillow at him, the cushion surprisingly hitting its target, slamming into his head.

The slight satisfaction didn't last as Sasuke lashed out at him.

Stupid bastard.

 

* * *

 

Jessica leaned forward, examining the documents in her hands. There was a picture, the colors washed out and blurry, but it was still there. She stared hard at it, waiting for something to change. She even blinked a few times, but no, the file did not change.

According to this file, Mr. Donovan died a year ago.

But Jessica just watched a few hours ago as he walked down the street with his wife, their arms linked together, with warm eyes and soft smiles.

Her first thought was that maybe her client was trying to trick her; it wouldn't be the first time.

But the evidence was piling up that this case was a lot darker than she had originally thought. Most of the information on Mr. Donovan was completely missing. In almost all the times his name popped up somewhere, it was in a passing comment about him being married to Mrs. Donovan. It was like he didn't have any other life but to be her husband. The only exception was his hospital records but those were sealed tight. Breaking into hospitals was always riskier than abandoned buildings or warehouses. People were more likely to ask what the fuck she was doing there.

But she said she would take the case, so she had to get to the bottom of it. Even if it meant impersonating as a nurse wearing scrubs that were pink, flowery, and completely against her aesthetic. She snuck in, broke a few locks and bolts, and found the office where all the files were located.

Hence how she is now holding his death certificate.

Was he playing possum? Did Mrs. Donovan know or is she clueless to her husband's schemes?

Jessica sighed, bringing a beer bottle to her lips. This wasn't the type of case she wanted to take after all the shit she's been through.

Right now, she was lounging in her seat in her office. She had expected to see a hint of some illicit relationship but now it looks like she was in the middle of some damn conspiracy.

She whirled around in her seat, her head resting against her fist as she faced the other occupant in the room. "How crazy . . . " She began, "do you think I'll have to be to pass up $500,000?" 

There was rippling in the air as papers flew out of a dropped folder. "You're getting offered that much money for a case? How come I didn't know about this?"

"I don't need you in my personal business." Jessica retorted.

Malcolm frowned. "You employed me. I'm literally supposed to be in your personal business."

Jessica got up, hurling her empty bottle in the trash can. "You're fired."

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "You'll have to do more than that to get rid of me. Where's the file?"

Handing the folder to him, she walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge, not surprised that there's nothing there.

She wouldn't say that she needed money, but she needed money. With all the shit that had come from ending Kilgrave, she's been reluctant to take new cases. She's too public, and even as people's opinions of her have changed, her temper hasn't.

Needless to say, she has to go through with this case. But of course, that doesn't mean that she wants to.

She broke out of her thoughts when she heard Malcolm barrel into the kitchen, his eyes wide as he shook the folder.

"How the hell is this possible?" He asked.

Jessica closed the fridge, already planning her next trip to the bar. "The same way tin man and red-white-blue are here." She sat down on the table, her hand covering her face.

After all the hell she's been through, she's just looking for some sense of normality. Cases that were simple and typical, like a cheating couple. People faking their death was not normal.

"Malcolm, go buy some ramen and put in the fridge so that brat won't annoy me when I come back," Jessica said, standing up and putting on her leather jacket.

"You're taking the case?

Jessica brought out a camera. "Someone has to pay you at the end of the month."

Malcolm's brows furrowed as his lips thinned into a brown line. "And I'm guessing there's no chance of me coming with?"

He took the slam of the office's door as his answer.

Malcolm sighed, glancing back at Jess's desk. Somewhere in there, a crumpled-up coupon book for the local Japanese restaurant was lying in between folders of cases Jessica hadn't bothered to take. He didn't want to start spending money he didn't need to spend, but at the same time, if Jess ever found out he looked through her stuff, she'll probably throw him out the window.

Scanning the room one more time to make sure she wasn't testing him or something, he opened the desk, rummaging through the files. There was a certain file that stood out to him, possibly from the Hello Kitty tape decorating it. Even though he knew he shouldn't look through it, he decided to glimpse at it. He opened the file a bit, but there wasn't anything interesting.

It was about some architect called John Raymond, who according to his wife and daughter, has been acting unusual. Coming back home late, always working— Yawn, even he knew the husband was cheating. Malcolm grabbed the coupon book and closed the drawer, grumbling about mean bosses as he walked out of the office.

No one paid attention to the office phone blinking green because of a voice message left.

 

* * *

 

_"Hmmm... something smells here."_

Sasuke zoomed in on the map on his phone, examining the street names. _"You're probably smelling yourself."_

_"I'm not, bastard! This smells familiar. I just can't remember."_ Naruto sniffed the air again, trying to pinpoint the aroma wafting through the air. 

It was mixed in with a lot of stuff like sweat, debris, and food. He inhaled the air in, only to double down coughing when the stench of roadkill mixed in.

He still couldn't recognize the smell though.

_"Are we there yet?"_ Naruto looked over his shoulder to see Sasuke's map.

A long sigh escaped Sasuke's lips. _"Shut up."_

As they kept walking down the pavement, Naruto spun around to look at the different stores and flyers attached to their windows. Each of those advertisements had a particular address written on them. 

_"Hey, we're in Chinatown! You got us lost!"_   Naruto shrieked.

_"We. are. not. lost."_   Sasuke gritted out.

Naruto ran fast, shifting around so he would block Sasuke's way. _"Even I know that Harlem and Chinatown are in opposite directions."_

_"You can barely read a map right."_   Sasuke sneered.

_"I would read it better than you right now."_

_"I'll like to see you try."_

Naruto snatched Sasuke's phone from his hand, his brows knitted with determination as he attempted to read the screen full of somewhat familiar characters.

_"Okay, we're ummmmmmmmm here! And this is Chinatown, so Harlem is uhhhh ... H-A-R-L-E-M ... Ah-ha! Here! That means we have to be on this road and we're on..."_ Naruto looked up from the screen to read the street signs, _"... the wrong road."_

Once Sasuke scrutinized the maps and scouted out the street signs to make sure Naruto was actually right, he snorted and looked away.

They changed their paths, with Naruto leading the way, pasting a shit-eating grin on his face and Sasuke sulking at the back.

He was still annoyed by that smell, so despite that nice clinic lady telling him not to, he delved into his mind to find the other conscience inhabiting it.

'Hey, Ku-Man! Do you know what that smell is?'

**Why is it that you only come to me for information?**

'You want me to start talking to you more?!'

**. . . Nevermind. It's the nurse from awhile ago. Leave me be.**

'Thanks, Ku-man! I'll talk to you later!'

He heard some grumbling before the fox cut off the mental connection.

He turned around to talk to Sasuke, only to notice he's still in a bad mood.

It must be hard having such a gigantic stick up your ass.

_"Hey, Jackass. That weird smell was coming from the nurse lady that helped Daredevil. I'm gonna find her!"_ Naruto declared.

Sasuke's frown deepened. _"Did you forget we're supposed to be heading to Harlem? And we're on borrowed time?"_

_"It'll be quick. I'll race ya! 1-2-3 go!"_ Naruto dashed off, heading towards the rooftop.

Sasuke followed, zipping by pedestrians and trying to predict where Naruto will end up because the idiot didn't realize that not everyone had his freaky sense of smell. 

They rushed through the streets, Naruto choosing higher altitudes and Sasuke sticking to the ground level.

Eventually, Naruto jumped down from the rooftop to land in front of a store, with Sasuke pausing to watch his movements.

_"I think it's in here!"_   Naruto stretched his arms.

He swiveled around to face his companion but was thrown off by the smirk on his face.

” _What’s with that creepy look on your face?”_   Naruto asked.

_”Moron, I won. I reached here 3 seconds before you did.”_   Sasuke pointed out.

_”What?! Bastard!! Just you wait, once we’re out of here, we’ll race to Harlem. Let’s see who’ll win then.”_   Naruto announced, his voice echoing in the halls as he entered the building.

They went downstairs and reached the only apartment in the whole building.

Naruto stretched his hand to open the door but realized that he should have a little more manners and knocked on the door instead.

_”You actually knocked. I thought you were too primitive to do that.”_   Sasuke sounded surprised.

But despite no one coming to welcome them, Sasuke opened the door and let himself in.

_”Why were you calling me primitive if you’re just gonna enter inside without being welcomed?!”_

Sasuke looked back, staring hard at Naruto. 

Rather than explain his behavior, he merely walked further inside.

And as Naruto followed to yell some more at him, the surroundings he found himself in stopped his movements.

The floor was lined with wooden panels, with a wide space in the middle of the room. Off to the side were some punching bags and training dummies. There were swords and other weapons decorating the walls. 

_“Sas, do you see what I’m seeing?”_

_”We’re in a dojo.”_   Sasuke took a look around, scrutinizing every detail.

Naruto started to bounce around in excitement. He’s never been in a dojo before.

Well, maybe he has but he doesn’t remember if he did.

But that’s all forgotten as Naruto flew over to one of the training dummies, giving it an experimental punch.

He’s never been so happy about taking a detour before.

_“Look at this! It’s a training dummy! I bet I can hit it harder than— OH LOOK A SWORD!!”_ Naruto ran up to the sword display, his hand itching to grab one of them.

He can almost touch it, already imagining the feeling of wielding what must be such an ancient yet powerful weapon.

”Don’t touch that!”

Naruto halted, his hand in the air as his fingers almost brushed the swords.

Sasuke walked up so he was side-by-side with Naruto, examining the occupants in the room.

Right on the opposite side, there was a pale woman, looking annoyed as she stared at them with her hands on her hips.

Beside her was that nurse Claire, except she wasn’t wearing a hoodie and looking exhausted, but a tank top and sweatpants as fire burned in her eyes.

”What are you two doing here? I don’t think I have seen you before.” The woman beside Claire narrowed her eyes, watching for any slight movement the two might make.

Naruto noted Sasuke's frown, anger lining his brows from being questioned unnecessarily. 

This wasn’t good. When Sasuke got like this, he would start clamming up. Annoying in normal situations, but horrible in situations like this when someone has to be the translator.

Then, Claire’s eyes widened as she finally recognized the kids standing in front of her.

”Oh hey! Colleen, I know these two!” She spoke up.

Colleen looked back at her student as Claire wiped off drops of sweat from her brow. 

“They’re . . . Uhh . . . Very strange kids.” Claire stammered out.

She was going to explain how she met them but right now, she couldn’t think of a way to not mention Matt’s alter-ego for the context to make sense. Thinking quick, she decided to forgo explaining entirely. After all, the other details wouldn’t be important unless they did something that normal kids don’t do.

However, her response was enough to elicit a scowl from the boy with the black hair.

With Claire’s answer, Colleen wasn’t as annoyed about potential burglars anymore. Instead, her stance relaxed as she regarded the kids once again but in a new light.

”So, what are you guys here for? You want to take lessons?” She asked, brightening at the thought of new customers.

Sasuke translated back her words and Naruto thought about it.

However, Sasuke was tired of being delayed.

”No. We’re busy.” He responded, turning away from the dojo and towards the door.

Naruto frowned though, recognizing the words Sasuke said.

_”Come on! We can see Luke Cage later. We’re in a dojo, Sasuke!”_

_"You guys talking about ‘the’ Luke Cage?”_

Sasuke and Naruto turned towards Colleen, with Sasuke’s eyes narrowing in suspicion and Naruto’s widening from shock.

Even as Claire didn’t speak Japanese, she heard enough of the name “Luke Cage” to be alarmed.

”What? Why does everyone keep talking about Luke?” She asked, looking around at the others.

Colleen tilted her head towards the boys’ direction. “They want to see Luke Cage.” Her eyes gleamed in amusement, and a smirk grew as she watched Claire fume.

“Well, they can’t. He’s got framed and he’s too stubborn to accept legal help.” Claire spat out. She stomped back to the open space in the dojo, dragging a training dummy out, and pummeling the shit out of it.

Colleen frowned, watching as Claire’s form quickly became unbalanced.

She brought Claire out for training so it would distract her from Luke, but there was always some reminder around. She was a little worried about what Claire would do when she went to K'un-Lun with Danny.

Suddenly, a loud whine brought her out of her thoughts. She looked for the source of the noise and her eyes brought her to the blond kid in the orange jumpsuit yelling at the kid in the black hair.

There was a stream of expletives coming out from his voice, so maybe it was time to shoo them away.

Before she could act on her thoughts, she saw the door open again to reveal Danny Rand, New York’s billionaire, and Kun-Lun’s Iron Fist.

”Colleen, are you in there? I just got out of the office and I wanted to know if we can blow some steam?” Danny said as he walked in, immediately throwing off his suit jacket.

But when he took a proper look around, he noticed the two boys bitterly arguing in Japanese.

”I didn’t know you had a lesson today. Hi, Claire.” He waved.

Claire didn’t bother to stop her punching, too angry to greet him.

”She’s blowing off some steam. And no, I don’t have any lessons today. Not really sure what these two are doing here...” Colleen sighed as the two boys started to fight, wrestling on the floor and clawing at each other.

Danny looked at them, growing concerned. “We should stop them.”

”Yeah, I know. Give me a minute.” Colleen looked up at the ceiling in exhaustion, running her fingers through her black hair. 

She’s really tired of people fighting in her dojo. Not sparring, of course, but trying-to-kill-her fighting. Or even worse . . .

She watched as the blond kid bit the other in the arm, before getting tackled again.

Fighting like idiots.

”Okay, I’m ready. Hey! Cut it out!” Colleen gestured to Danny and they both pulled the boys off each other.

The blond kid she ended up carrying was really scrawny under the oversized jacket, and he immediately stopped struggling once she grabbed him.

_“Why did you guys come in here anyway?”_   She asked him, dropping him down to the ground.

_”I wanted to say hi to Ms. Claire! Hey, you’re a real sensei, aren’t you?”_   He blew a raspberry at the other kid with that last question.

_“I doubt it.”_   The kid in the black clothes retorted, hanging off from Danny’s arms akin to a cat.

_”How would you know?!”_

They started to glare at each other, struggling against the adults’ arms.

”Man, not even the goats up in the mountains got riled up like this? Why are they fighting?” Danny asked, trying hard to retain his grip on the angry boy.

”They’re arguing over whether I’m a good sensei or not.” Colleen rolled her eyes, not really caring about their opinions.

“That’s easy to solve. Why don’t we just show them your moves? Take care of two birds with one stone?” He dropped the other kid so suddenly that he was too stunned to readjust his movements, landing straight on his ass.

When the other kid Colleen was holding started to laugh, she loosened her grip, letting him leave her arms in hysterics.

She turned around to see Danny slipping into a fighting stance, his eyes focusing on her.

”Let’s show them what a real sensei can do.” He smirked, blond curls falling across his temple as he smiled at her.

”Yeah, right. You just want to have a match.” She said, but still walking over to him as she got into position.

The atmosphere in the room changed, becoming sharper as Danny and Colleen started to face off. Claire stopped punching the dummy, Naruto stopped laughing, and Sasuke stopped plotting everyone’s demise.

All eyes were on the pair, anticipating a match between two great fighters.

It was silent enough to hear a pin drop. The sun hit the horizon and shone through the shutters in the windows, letting shadows and light fall on the fighters’ form like it was a cursed blessing.

Someone inhaled too sharply, and the match was on as Colleen rushed over to release her attack.

She bolted over the wooden floor and her punches were fast and quick, like a viper catching its prey. But Danny slithered out of her reach each time, his body twisting and sliding to evade her hits. With each evasion tactic, Colleen grew angrier. Finally, she let anger drive her and she smashed her fist into Danny’s mouth.

He recoiled from the force, his tongue running over his sore teeth.

”Is that how we’re playing it?”

Colleen’s smile was small and sly, promising something special for those who can unlock its secrets.

Getting hyped, Danny switched tactics, delivering blows packed with force.

The match heated up, elbow against arm, fist against thigh, knuckles against knuckles.

That final punch slowed the match down, as Colleen and Danny punched at the same time, their hands shuddering from the force.

But after the impact was a soft, gentle caress as they opened their fists, letting their palms meet and fingers dance around each other. They caught each other’s eyes, warmth settling in to replace the scorching fire of their persistence. Rough callouses were treated to lovely touches, lonely hearts were beckoned towards each other.

_"Yuck!"_

Immediately, they separated from each other, the ambiance ruined. They turned around to face the other occupants they had seemingly forgotten about. Naruto is gagging from the display, Claire is trying to hide the smile creeping up on her face with her hand, and Sasuke is throwing them a glare that can burn steel.

"You guys are really invested in this fight, huh? Should we leave the room so you can practice your 'moves' on each other?" Claire asked, wiggling her eyebrows on the emphasized word.

Danny and Colleen rolled their eyes, slowly falling out from their stances.

"Ha ha. Weren't you destroying my training dummy just a few minutes ago?" Colleen challenged.

Claire put her hands up. "Okay, okay! You want me to leave. Don't worry, I won't get between your alone time." She cackled at that last part, heading towards her belongings to pack her stuff. 

Ignoring the quips, Danny looked to the two boys that were now staring at him, one in wonder and one just staring.

"So, were you guys impressed?" He asked.

The one that was glaring at him took the other boy aside, huddled up as they whispered in Japanese. Well, one of them whispered, the other was just yelling. Finally, they walked back to Danny, with something being decided.

"No.”

”What? No way! Not even a little impressed?” Danny said, faking a pout at the blank face Sasuke had.

Colleen went up to them, patting Danny on the back.

_”Tell me what you really think.”_ She said. Maybe talking in their native language would make them more receptive.

But that demand opened Pandora’s Box, except what came out wasn’t the horrors and darkness that now exist in the world but instead just Naruto talking for a really fucking long time.

_“You were so awesome! You did most of the fighting and you went BANG! and then you were like WOAH! And then, he went all whoop on you but you came back with a KAPOW! That flip thing you did was soo cool! Can I be your student? I’ll be the best student a sensei can have. I even know some moves so you’re not teaching me from scratch—“_

_”If you call ‘tripping over your own leg’ moves, then she has her work cut out for her.”_   Sasuke interrupted, tired of Naruto’s monologue.

Before they can launch into another fight, Colleen whistled to get Naruto’s attention.

_”Hey! I’ll be happy to be your sensei, but maybe you can introduce yourself first.”_

Naruto smiled wide, his thumb jabbed into his chest. _“My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I’m number one_ feral delinquent _and_ private investigator.”

Sasuke snorted and Colleen stared at him, confused. She didn't know what was weirder, the fact he said those titles in English or the fact that he was proud of them.

_”Do you even know what that means?”_   He smirked, watching Naruto’s fury build up.

_”Shut up, Sasuke! You’re just jealous that ‘a great Uchiha’ like you isn’t as cool as me.”_

_“You’re the lamest one here.”_

They started to squabble again, and Colleen was so tired of it, she leaned her head against Danny’s shoulder, her palm covering her face.

”What are they fighting about now?” Danny asked, adjusting so she can lean onto him properly.

”All I asked them were their names. Just their names.” Colleen said, a sigh creeping up in her voice.

”Trust me, you’ll get used to it.” Claire walked over, slinging her gym bag across her shoulder.

It's like her voice was an alarm, because Naruto froze in the middle of his argument, finally noticing the former nurse.

In a move that no one except maybe Sasuke could see, he rushed over to her side, swallowing her up in a bear hug.

Claire was a bit puzzled, what with him greeting her like that. Not to mention she was all sweaty from her lessons and all she wanted to do is take a nice shower. But then, Naruto leaned out, shooting her a smile that not even the sun could compete with. 

She could already feel her face melting into a look of fondness, her eyelids lowering as she hugged him back.

But then he opened his mouth, and he started to babble a lot of words in such a short time span and Claire had never wished that she knew Japanese as much as now.

But before she can say anything, he had already let go, running out of the dojo and waving as he dragged his friend out too.

”So, he really likes you, huh?” Danny broke the silence, his arms stretched and crossed behind his head.

”Honestly, we only met once and all I did was drop him off at his home. What was he saying?” She turned to Colleen, who was still staring off to space.

Claire snapped her fingers and Colleen startled, drawn away from her thoughts.

”Oh! He said he wanted to say hi and he could smell you a mile away. Maybe you should take longer showers.” Colleen smiled as Danny laughed hard and Claire punched her in the shoulder.

 

* * *

 

Naruto tried to focus, but the letters were all weird, and the teacher kept staring at him with those weird eyes, expecting something from him.

After a few minutes, Naruto pushed the stupid assignment away and watched as the teacher’s face drooped in disappointment.

He walked away, probably to help some other student, leaving Naruto to grit his teeth as his cheeks burned in anger. 

This stupid school expected him to understand English but it’s so stupid because the teacher can’t even understand him. How the hell is he supposed to learn this if no one is teaching it to him?

Eventually, he wielded his pencil for another purpose and started to doodle stick men on his paper. They were all ninjas, throwing shurikens and kunais at evil snake monsters. They didn't go to a stupid school and everyone spoke the same language and beat each other up with their cool ninja moves. 

As he drew an especially gory one, he took a glance around the room. All the kids were talking among each other, forming little groups based on which language they spoke.

Naruto was alone; nobody spoke Japanese.

Hearing a snap, he looked down to see his pencil lead crack in two. His brows knitted as he ogled at the now broken pencil. Worse, that was the only one he had on him.

School sucked.

Focusing on his drawings now, he didn’t notice the voice on the intercom, or how everyone was looking at him until he was nudged by his teacher and herded off to the principal’s office.

In less than a few minutes, he’s sitting on a brown chair, fiddling his thumbs as the principal spoke deep, thundering words to his social worker and teacher. He hadn't seen her in a while, only coming once in a blue moon to check up on him and ask him some basic questions. 

Ms. Ikuhara didn't look as neat and elegant as she did back when he first met her. Her black hair was wrapped in a messy bun that was spilling locks from not being properly tied. Her face, although pale, looked more blueish, like she was sick from food poisoning or something. She stuck her hands in her purse, but Naruto could hear her clicking a pen inside it, even as the sound was muted.

Something was off about her.

As she started to escort them out of the school, Naruto grew even more suspicious. The last time she led him away with her gripping his arm, he ended up in a foster home. He had a fight with Sasuke, a really big one, but the reason why escaped his mind. In any case, Ms. Ikuhara talked a lot that time to fill the silence in the car that Naruto hadn't bothered to break.

But now, not a word was exchanged between them.

**Are you just going to follow her like a sheep to the slaughterhouse? Stand your ground. Or run like your disgusting species usually do,** Kurama suggested, with a loud growl echoing in his head.

Warning bells were going off in his head, but Naruto didn't want to believe it, so he continued to let her lead him.

It wasn't until they got into a large, black van that Naruto was worried enough to question the social worker.

_"Hey, what's going on?"_

Ms. Ikuhara glanced from Naruto to the two other men in the car, all dressed in black.

_"Don't worry, everything is going to be fine."_ She said, grasping his hands as she stared into his eyes.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. He noticed how sweaty her palms and the way she couldn't quite keep up with her stare.

_"You're lying."_   He accused.

The shaky smile she had on her face was gone. Looking away from him, she focused on ruffling through her bag until she brought out a water bottle.

_"Everything is going to be fine eventually, but right now, I need you to drink this."_   She held out the bottle to him.

_"What? There's no way I'm drinking that!"_ Naruto might be an idiot, but he wasn't stupid.

_"It's really important to me that you do."_

_"It's probably poisoned or something!"_

The air in the car turned ominous as he felt everyone's eyes shift to him.

_"There is nothing in this water."_

_"You're ly—"_

_"Naruto, think very carefully about what you're about to say."_ Her voice is hushed and urgent.

Naruto took a long around at the other guys. They looked easy enough to beat in a fight. But as he glared harder at him, he noticed the outline of a certain shape in their suits.

Guns.

And their fingers were hovering over the spot where they were hidden. He could see himself getting out of the car with a few scratches, maybe even a few bullet holes that can be easily taken care of, only appearing as a scar by next weekend.

But he looked at Ms. Ikuhara who was using all her energy not to shake and Naruto realized there wasn't any way he could guarantee her protection.

She nudged the bottle into his hands once again. _"Please take it. You don't want to get dehydrated, do you? If you do, you might end up fainting and someone would have to find you."_   She stared hard, enunciating each word slowly.

There was obviously something she was implying but Naruto couldn't catch it.

Either way, he didn't have much of a choice.

**Let me take over, I'll rip everyone to shreds and bath in their blood!**

As he said, he didn't have much of a choice.

He took the bottle, unscrewed the lid, and opened it. As the smell hit his nose, he ended up gagging a bit. There's no way this was water.

_"Trust me, Naruto. I'm just making sure you're well. I'm on your side."_

This was it, he just had to have faith.

'Kurama, whatever stuff I'm about to get into, you're gonna help me get outta it, right?'

He could hear the fox huff, muttering something about ignored advice.

**We'll see.**

That was the best he was gonna get from the fox. Looking at the weird concoction, he decided to do it all at once. He tipped the bottle into his mouth and swallowed the whole liquid in one large gulp.

It burned his throat, and he struggled to not spit it out even as some fluid dribbled out from his chin.

He tried to wipe it off with his jacket, but his arm felt weird and he couldn't move it.

In fact, his whole body felt weird and numb. His head was spinning and he felt like he was falling down, his vision becoming darker and blurrier.

He heard Ms. Ikuhara's voice, but it was all pitched and funny sounding. His head landed on something soft and he really liked it. It was like a pillow. He liked soft pillows. They were very good for sleeping. Maybe that was what he's doing now. He needs to sleep. Wait, wasn't there something . . . He needed to tell . . . something to someone . . . who was it . . . Sasuke? Sasuke was so cold sometimes. But sometimes, he was warm. Sasuke would be a good pillow.

Sasuke . . . Maybe later . . .

 

* * *

 

Sasuke knew that there was something wrong.

In fact, he was surer that there was something wrong than he was that the sky is blue.

He stood up from the bench he had been sitting in for 2 long and awful hours.

It was the busiest time of the day, with people rushing in and out of the public buses. They walked in swarms, returning from work or heading to their favorite restaurant for a lunch break. They were even some parents picking up their kids from the bus stops.

Sasuke studied his phone, the screen appearing back at him in that blank wallpaper that Naruto always bugged him to change.

Naruto has never been late meeting up with him.

Sasuke started to pace around the bench, wondering if he was overthinking it. Naruto isn't really a reliable person, always getting himself in trouble. Something could have distracted him, even making him neglect checking his phone. But even he would have picked up his phone by now. After all, anyone would notice all the missed calls and text messages.

He frowned at that thought; when was he the type to spam people?

Picking up his book bag, he started to walk away. 

He was overreacting. Besides, it's not like he cared that much about Naruto.

But his eyes caught onto someone, another kid that was in Naruto's class. The red jacket and ugly bumblebee themed backpack drew him back to the time he arrived at the bus stop to see Naruto fighting with the kid. The event had barely registered in his mind, as he forgot about it as soon as he realized Naruto instigated the fight with his pranks.

That didn't stop him from dropping his bag, marching up to the kid and pulling his arm to shove him behind an alley.

"Hey! Who the hell are—"

Sasuke slammed his hand against the wall, the sound shutting the boy up.

"Naruto Uzumaki. Tell me where you last saw him." He demanded.

"In-In school! He..uhhh...got checked out of school!" The boy stuttered out.

Black eyes narrowed, focusing on the boy like a hawk about to hunt its prey. The only person allowed to do anything with Naruto was his caretaker, and there was a better chance of hell freezing over before that man leaves the apartment because of Naruto.

"Who?"

"I don't know who it was!"

The wall shook with the boy's body when Sasuke grabbed his collar and jammed him against the wall. He gulped hard, swallowing down the pain.

"Think again."

"Okay, Okay! Don't hurt me! I don't know, man! It was some woman. She's really pale, black hair, and had this really fancy black suit on. That's all I know, I swear!" 

With that, Sasuke let go of him, not blinking as the boy ran past him.

His mind was whirling as he ambled out of the alley, and picked up his bag.

The description was familiar, a fuzzy memory of Naruto describing someone. It was a regular day, right after they were done with their usual spar in the park. The heat from the sun warmed him in uneven patches as he laid underneath the shedding trees. Naruto was beside him, his eyes half-lidded as he looked up at the sky with a lazy smile. He had chattered about a lot of stuff, maybe even describing his whole life, telling it in pauses, anecdotes, and long monologues that Sasuke had listened to quietly. But the conversation drifted away, in a way that couldn't be said is from sleepiness. His mind couldn't form a clear picture; it flew from him like a breeze on a hot summer day. 

He clenched his fists, his nails pressing into his palms. He's been in New York for more than a year and he still has no idea how he got here. He had worked hard and spent hours every day making strides in his abilities and skills, but he couldn't say the same about his memories. There were a few things that he was sure of. He knew himself. He knew he was a ninja, as outlandish it might seem to say aloud. But, it was something that came to him as easy as flying to a bird. His parents are dead, the emptiness and pain he feels every time he thought about it assured that. He knew Naruto from long before. He couldn't say whether it was as friends or enemies but there was some type of connection that caused him to stay by the other's side.

But other than those things, his past was wiped clean, empty and blank. He didn't know where he came from, any person he might have held important, any goals, ambitions, dreams— they were all gone.

Worse, the one person that he could say was like him is missing and he can't find him because of his. damn. memory.

Frustration and anger welled up and he found an outlet in punching the wall next to him.

The thud from the impact rang out in the air and he gritted his teeth, the pain causing him to recoil. As he withdrew his hand, he looked down at his fist, the knuckles red and bits of skin scraped off. He inspected the blood, scowling at the ache and the emotions he chose to indulge in. 

How could he have lost control like this? 

But then again, did he ever have control?

All of a sudden, the screeching of wheels vibrating throughout the streets. Looking up, he spotted Ms. Rambeau steering a stroller, jerking to a stop right in front of him. From the seat of the stroller, Kiku shrieked at him.

"Sasuke . . . Can we have a day that I'm not running around the city looking for you? I mean, I appreciate the exercise, but . . . whew!" Ms. Rambeau's knees buckled, panting as she tried to catch her breath.

Sasuke watched her, his mind in turmoil.

He hated how she tried to separate him and Kiku. Then, as if the first offense was not enough, she inserted herself in their lives as if she belonged. It made a fit of anger dark and nasty surge through his veins, sharp filth falling to his lips, fabricating words just as deadly as a rusty knife.

He didn't ask for her. He didn't need her.

But then, sometimes, he would feel weird. Just like now, her catching up and finding him after he steered clear away from her. Knowing that every time he had purposely avoided her, she chased after him every time, caused something unwarranted to run through him, an emotion he couldn't name.

Even now, she was wearing her red firefighter jacket, something that would only happen if she had started to look for him as soon as she got back from work.

"If my mother had her way, she would tie a bell around you. Though, somehow, I doubt that will do anything . . ." Ms. Rambeau muttered, wiping sweat from her face.

"Okay, we can talk about this later. let's go home!" She stood up, but Sasuke panicked.

"We can't." He blurted out.

Ms. Rambeau rose her eyebrows, signaling him to continue. 

Sasuke put his hands in his pockets, fumbling for words as he avoided her steady gaze. He wasn't even sure what made him say that, let alone how he'll explain it—

"My friend is missing, and I have to find him." Surprisingly, the words spewed out, his brain stringing them together like a school project done at the last minute.

Judging by the way by her eyes widened, he wasn't the only one surprised. "You have friends? Err— I mean, how do you know he's missing?"

Sasuke frowned, regretting opening his mouth. "Nevermind, it doesn't matter."

As he turned to walk away, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Sasuke, please look at me?"

He shifted around to see her staring at him, her eyes soft yet resolute. 

"When we first met, you were pretty angry. Lashing out at everyone and isolating yourself from everyone else. Despite everything that happened, I'm not stupid enough to believe that your anger will disappear suddenly—"

"You don't know anything about me." Sasuke spat out.

Her eyes hardened, but she wouldn't let him aggravate her. "I know a lot of things about you. For example, your lack of respect for anyone." She pointed out.

But before Sasuke could interrupt, she rose her hand up to stop him.

"But," She continued, "that doesn't mean that you're wrong. I want to know everything about you. I want to care about you. So that's what I'm doing right now, and what I'll keep doing, whether you like it or not. So hate me all you want, but I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you." 

As she finished up her declaration, Kiku started to squeal, kicking her legs up in excitement.

"See? It looks like she agrees too. You wanna get out of here, don’t you Kiku?" She asked Kiku as she carried the toddler out of the stroller.

But Sasuke still didn't respond, watching with blank eyes as she started to shake Kiku around in the air. 

"Hmm? What's with that look?" She finally noticed Sasuke gawking with a facial expression she couldn't quite place.

"Why . . . why would you do that?" He struggled to say, his words weren't translating what he felt as much as he liked.

"Why would you care so much about me if I hated you, and did everything I can to hurt you?" He uttered.

Monica sighed, huffing out a breath of air into the chilly wind.

"Why do we care about people anyway? Hmm, If I have to say when it started, I'll have to say it's when I first saw you in that alleyway. Seeing you passed out and possibly hurt scared me a lot more than the fires I run into. It didn't take me a second to pick you up and try to patch you up. I think that was the time I started to care. And it's nice, taking care of someone, being there for them, helping them, doing all you can to see them safe and well and happy. And it's the way Kiku laughs after I do something silly, or the little smug smirks you have when I let you win in chess."

Sasuke felt the corner of his mouth lift up. "My win was legitimate."

Ms. Rambeau chuckled. "Sure, it was. But anyway, they all seem like simple rewards, but somehow they mean the world. Even it doesn't happen today, or tomorrow, or months in the future, I'll love you guys and make sure you'll get better from everything life has dealt you."

And it was that word. A word thrown around so carelessly in English but encompasses so many emotions and feelings he couldn't begin to describe. It dripped from the lips of other people as easy as breathing. 

Love.

A simple word, a four-letter word that was so fucking terrifying.

"How can you say something like that?! How do you know that I won't keep hurting you? How could you have so much faith in me!?"

Ms. Rambeau froze, wondering at the intensity of his words. 

Then, her eyes grew warmer, a gleeful smile reaching from cheek to cheek, crinkling her face. She laid her hand on Sasuke's head, nudging it forward so he could come closer.

"Sasuke, you're a good person. Even with all that bitterness and anger, I know that you'll grow up to be somebody great."

She ruffled his hair, brown hands combing through black locks before patted him.

"Now, how about we find your missing friend?" Ms. Rambeau put Kiku down into the stroller, wringing her hands to shake off the stiffness.

Sasuke didn't hear her, still stuck to her previous words. They ricocheted against the walls he put up, chipping at them like a sculptor to marble. 

Then Ms. Rambeau snapped her fingers in front of him, and he drew away from his thoughts.

"Did you hear me? I asked if we could talk to his parents."

"He only has his caretaker. He might know where he went." Though, Sasuke highly doubted it.

"Then, let's head out. Hopefully, we can solve this before dinner time, Ma won't be happy if she's eating alone." She grumbled the last part. But when she turned to face him, she noticed his hands reddening.

"How do you get hurt so much? You need to be more careful," A sigh left her lips as she foraged her bag for bandages, "I can't find any band-aids. We'll just have to ask for some when we reach your friend's home." She brought out an old shirt from the stroller and ripped a large strip from it. Picking up Sasuke's hand, she wrapped the cloth around before tying it in a knot to fasten it. 

"There, good for the next hour! You don't look like you're in pain, so can you help out and carry Kiku for a little bit? It looks like she's getting restless again." Ms. Rambeau gestured towards Kiku, who was starting to whimper.

As Sasuke hoisted her up, she immediately clung to him, babbling as she eyed his bangs.

They walked down the streets, not really silent as Monica started to whistle, but comfortable in a way that seemed domestic.

But Sasuke couldn't focus on that, too worried about finding the one other person that cared about him despite his flaws.

 

* * *

 

The amphitheater was the largest and finest in the city. There were velvet-lined seats soft to the touch for the thousands of people that could fit inside the building. Engineered by the best to have flawless acoustics, the theater was reserved only for the greatest of performances.

Inside, the high pitches of violins intertwined with the violas, basses, and cellos to forge a melodious composition that blessed the ears of those who can hear it. 

Yet, out of the hall with almost seven thousand seats, only one was filled.

The woman sat, legs crossed as she took in the music. She swirled a glass of wine in her hand, not a drop spilling on the white dress she had on.

Eventually, as all things do, the arrangement ended as the orchestra concluded their composition.

It was magnificent, the ending crescendo creating something impeccable.

But there were some things that just shouldn't end.

She stood up, walking without a single remark on the piece.

It's time she finally finishes up old business.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, things are heating up! Wish my life was as exciting. Don’t forget to comment, kudos and more. The next chapters are covering the Defenders limited series and even as I have somewhat plotted what’s going on, I still have to write it so next chapter might be come out way later than usual. I also might release two chapters at once so that probably makes up for it.
> 
> Skit:
> 
> Naruto: hey Sas, look what I just rolled out in  
> Sasuke: what the fuck are you wearing  
> Naruto: they’re called heelies, catch up with the times, jerk  
> Sasuke: those are crocs you glued wheels to  
> Naruto: no  
> Naruto: they’re heelies


	11. Step Ten: Join the Calvary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Defenders will ... defend? Jessica, Danny, Luke, and Matt cross paths as they try to protect the city from the Hand. It would be a lot easier if they could stand each other. Naruto talks morality with the one person he doesn't want to talk to, and Sasuke is having a rough time with the rest of the extras.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry but I have been busy hating college and looking for a job. Hate exams! Hate group presentations! Hate the bitch that lives next door and sings at 1 AM for no fucking reason! Hate the dining options at dinner that taste like shit! REALLY Hating that bitch! Hate the elevators! Seriously, fuck college.
> 
> But this is just a unnecessary Author's note to say that I hate this motherfucking chapter so damn much. I rather suck on a moldy dick impaled with needles than write this. I rather drink a cup of bleach diluted with the water from Flint than write this. I rather read a chapter from my art history textbook than write this. Why? I actually liked The Defender Series. Did I think there were some flaws? Hell yeah, all media have those. But do I find those flaws sufficient enough to warrant rewriting the events that took place? Nope, but I gotta fucking do it anyway because some things have to change to fit the scope of my story but I'll be hot diggity damned if I recount the whole story with just a few details changed. I fucking hate flashbacks.
> 
> Skit is here because end notes have a long vent that you guys can read if you want and like to hear me complain, not that I haven’t complained enough already. It’s not really important but it will explain what’s happening with this fic.
> 
> Skit...  
> Matt: Have anyone seen my billy clubs?  
> Danny: Your billed e-cubs?  
> Luke: Your philly subs?  
> Jessica: Your ugly mug?  
> Matt: None of those made sense.  
> Jessica: Sorry, I stopped listening at “Hi, I’m here to represent you”.

 

The city of New York was bright, shining, and dazzling. But it was also dark, ugly and revolting. A nasty, inconsequential blot compared to the wonder the world contains. The world has existed for millenniums, taking up space long before humans ever came into the equation. 

She was one of the early humans; she has seen civilizations rise and fall while she stood in the middle of it all.

But now, her skin wasn't the soft satin that medieval nobles wrote poems about, but it was sagging and crusty. Time sullied the brightness in her eyes that knights swore loyalty for.

She had lost her soul years ago, but she can't remember when her body started to follow.

There was only one thing to do: return back to her roots.

She will go back to the land she was once exiled from, will continue to lead Death in the waltz of life.

New York will fall, with all its light and darkness.

It was no matter; cities rise and fall every day.

 

* * *

 

It came out of nowhere.  
   
One minute, they were standing on steady ground. The next, their arms were flailing around, bodies unbalanced as the Earth rumbled underneath humanity. Road tore apart with gravel and tar cracking while water seeped through the rifts. Buildings shook and fell under the pressure of the tremors, making debris that poured from skyscrapers like snow on a winter day. Unlucky people caught in the streets curled up in the fetal position, hiding from the destruction that would bring about their demise.  
   
That was what one girl was doing, her head faced down on her lap, blinking back tears when she heard a loud smash and felt dirt and pebbles raining on her. Curiosity taking hold, she dared to lift her head and found herself staring at her savior: a newly-freed Luke Cage.  
   
Scooping the girl up into his arms, Luke ran through the trembling city, not stopping until he found a shelter to drop the girl at.  
   
When the girl rubbed at her eyes and saw the man before her, she rubbed at them one more time, in case she was wrong.  
   
”Luke Cage? I thought you was in prison?”  
   
“Just got out.” He muttered, bending down to cover her and the other pedestrians from the concrete that was crumbling down.  
   
Soon, the shaking stopped and Luke stood up to see the frightened people looking at him all doe-eyed.  
   
”Is everyone alright?” He asked, glancing over them.  
   
All the civilians shook their heads. Satisfied, Luke backed away and chatter rose in the air, mostly questions and unbelief that THE Luke Cage saved them.  
   
As he turned around to call and check up on Claire, he felt someone tapping on his arm.  
   
”Mr. Cage, I just wanted to say thank you for saving my life.” The girl he had rescued before blushed hard as she looked up at him.  
   
Luke felt the urge to look away. After all the time he had spent in prison (again), he wasn’t used to the positive attention.  
   
”It wasn’t a problem. Just doing my part.” He answered.  
   
”You know, you’re a really good guy, aren’t you? It would make my day if you can help me out one more time.” She asked, batting her eyelashes at him.  
   
Luke smiled at her attempt at coyness but kept his tone friendly. “What do you want me to do?”  
   
Luckily, all she wanted was for him to escort her back home, and to help in case her brother got trapped under debris. She talked a lot, sharing everything that went on in Harlem while he was in jail.  
   
”Oh, Mariah and her lil' boy thing are still out there at Harlem’s Paradise, but I’ve neva seen them out doing stuff. Whatever she’s doin’, she’s not the main playa around here anymore.”  
   
Luke narrowed his eyes. Mariah staying quiet while he wasn’t there to stop her was definitely suspicious.  
   
“What do you mean there’s a new player?” Luke questioned.  
   
The girl fumbled with the straps of her tank top, twisting the loose fabric around her finger.  
   
”I’ve neva seen him before. He came outta nowhere. Just been offering the boys out here some weird jobs.” She said, her eyes looking away.  
   
”What type of jobs?”  
   
”I dunno. But all the boys that took that job? They neva came back.” She uttered, curling up on herself in a way that has nothing to do with the cold.  
   
Luke wanted more information, but he kept quiet instead. She must have been through a lot and Luke didn't want to push her.  
   
Fortunately, she continued to talk without him saying a word.  
   
”Say, you’re tough, right? The hero of Harlem? You think you can take this guy down?” She turned around, staring Luke right in the eyes.  
   
Luke’s eyes hardened as he took the girl’s hands into his own.  
   
”I promise you I’ll get to the bottom of this.” He declared, resolve pulsing out from his words.  
   
The girl blinked before laughing, slapping his hands away.  
   
”So much charm, you do this with all the girls you help?”  
   
Luke chuckled a bit, slightly amused and slightly uncomfortable. She sure changed subjects quick...  
   
”My name’s Tamia, and it’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Cage.” She brought her hand, and he shook it.  
   
They walked a bit in silence before she started to talk again.  
   
But the air changed back to that dark mood as her voice dropped.  
   
”I think my brother might be doin’ that shit.”  
   
Luke tried to process the new information, but Tamia still continued to talk, more hurriedly.  
   
”He’s ... uh...he’s been goin’ out more, not s-sayin’ stuff... to me. I dunno, I ain’t got proof but ... I can feel it.”  
   
But Luke couldn’t say anything, because they had just reached her apartment.  
   
”. . . That earthquake didn’t reach here. But Mr. Cage, you gotta talk to my brother. Or maybe look after him. It’s just me and him now and I dunno what I’ll do if he gets kill—“  
   
”Why you always bringing up my name to strangers?”  
   
Luke and Tamia turned around to see her brother standing by the door, looking very pissed.  
   
“Bobby, I was just talking to—“  
   
”Mind yo’ business. I don’t ask what you get up to.” He stomped back into the apartment, slamming the door.  
   
Tamia sighed, doing a little prayer gesture on her chest.  
   
”Sorry ‘bout him. But do you want to come in?”  
   
But Luke rose his hand. “I appreciate it, but I got to go. I need to check to make sure everything’s fine on my side.”  
   
Tamia leaned back on the door, a smirk set on her face.  
   
”You mean that Claire lady? She must be the luckiest woman alive to have you by her side.”  
   
Luke smiled, thinking back to the hug Claire gave him when he got released from prison. His ear is still warm from her hot breath when she whispered those sweet nothings.  
   
”More like I’m the luckiest man alive.”  
   
Tamia snorted, her smirk shifting into a wry smile.  
   
”You better treasure her. People like her don’t come too easily.”  
   
”Of course. Don’t worry, I’ll watch out for your brother.”  
   
And as Tamia thanked him and went back inside, the gears in Luke’s head started to shift as he thought up different plans to save his home from another threat.  
   
One of these days, he’s gonna have to see if taking down drug lords can count as employment.

 

* * *

 

Danny slumped down on the floor of the dojo, his body wet with sweat.  
   
He’s been having nightmares. Nightmares from the plane turbulence, the genocide of his people in K’un-Lun, and his 'supposed' army that the Hand has been killing off the past month.  
   
So when the earthquake happened, he panicked a little bit.  
   
Colleen might disagree about the degree of panic but Danny was fine now.  
   
Yeah, he was fine.  
   
He looked up and stared at the ceiling, water dripping down from the cracks in the concrete. Water dripping and splattering across his forehead.  
   
The breath he took was shuddering, fear and exhaustion and anger coating every inch of it.  
   
No, he wasn’t fine.  
   
He wasn’t sure what fine was, but it wasn’t his friends and family's dead bodies rotting in the snow. It wasn’t K’un-Lun destroyed and pillaged and burnt down to ashes. It wasn’t chasing lead after lead of every trail that the Hand left, trying to right his wrongs. It wasn’t innocent people murdered for something that was his duty.  
   
No, he won’t ever be fine until every last member of the Hand died by his fist.  
   
The dojo door slid open and Colleen walked in, her brows furrowed as she held out a glass of water.  
   
Taking the glass, he drank every last drop, trying to quench the sudden thirst in his throat.  
   
He didn't realize he was so dehydrated.  
   
"Are you ready to talk about it now?" Colleen asked, bending down to sit on the mat.  
   
She stared hard, looking for clues of his true feelings in his eyes. But Danny turned his head, looking everywhere but her.  
   
It was a few more minutes of silence before Colleen sighed.  
   
She grabbed his hand and spoke loud and clear.  
   
"Danny, look at me."  
   
Danny didn't budge, his eyes still pointedly ignoring hers.  
   
"So what? You're just going to sit here and mope? Danny, you passed out in the middle of an earthquake. You need help." Colleen threw his hand away from hers, her body bouncing as she sprang off from the floor.  
   
"What I need is to stop the Hand no matter what!" Danny finally faced her, with furrowed brows and clenched jaw.  
   
"How are you going to stop them like this? You think the Hand will hesitate to strike you down when you're having panic attacks—  
   
I KNOW! But I can't-I can't stop it!"  
   
"I know, Danny." Colleen's tone softened, even as Danny glared at her. Massaging her temples, she reached for her backpack. "But that's my point. You haven't had any time to process this. You have been fighting Hand ninjas and chasing down leads but you don't even try to deal with the shit you've seen. You're just bottling it in and it's leaking out, just like now."  
   
"So what? You think I should see a shrink while New York is in danger? I am the immortal Iron Fist, warrior of K'un-Lun, destined to destroy the Hand. Warriors don't need rehab."  
   
Colleen sighed again, and Danny was getting fucking sick of hearing it.  
   
”Can’t you just let this go? Once I kill the Hand, everything will be back to normal.”

Colleen grabbed her bag and dumped it on the table, the thud breaking the silence between them.

”I don’t know what you think is normal, Danny. But killing the Hand? Won’t give you back your own life. It won’t bring back K’un-Lun either.”

”Don’t you think I know— ugh, it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Danny crossed his arms, his face adamant.

Colleen narrowed her eyes at him, lips tightening into a frown. But keeping the peace, she kept her mouth shut and focused on her backpack instead.

”Remember those soldiers we came across fighting the Hand?” 

Her tone chilled the air in the room.

”Yeah?”

”When they died, I ruffled through their belongings. I know you said you wanted to give them a warrior’s death but we were chasing thin air and I wanted to get a lead.”

”You dug up their graves!?”

“No, I searched them before we buried them. At first, all I got were these diaries they had but I couldn’t decipher them. But then, I noticed something.” She brought out four dusty books, their pages yellowing as she flipped through them.

She set the books together on the floor, arranging them into a certain position. "Notice what happens when you line all the center pages together?”

Danny stood up and examined the books, his eyes widening when he made a connection.

”They make a circle. Is this some sort of symbol?”

Colleen tore the center pages out from the books and lined them up together.

”No, it’s a map. And look at the streets.”

Danny scrutinized the bundle, zooming in on the wide dot lying on top of the jagged lines.

”This is a map of New York. And this,” he pointed at the dot, “is only about 10 blocks away.”

”There are people here. People that are joining the fight against the Hand. We won’t have to do this alone.” Colleen pointed out.

Something swelled up in him when he heard that word. Alone. He was all alone right now. Not just alone as in alone in New York City   
alone.

But alone as in he’s the last of an ancient civilization.

He knows these people probably aren’t from K’un-Lun; he had recognized all the corpses he buried.

But yet,  maybe  . . .

”This isn’t their fight. I should be the only one doing this.” Danny looked up at her.

”That’s awfully self-centered of you to think.” She rose black eyebrows at him.

”Self-centered?”

”You think you’re the only victim of the Hand? The Hand has existed for years. We're not the only ones that want to stop them. We'll have a much better chance if we team up than going at it by ourselves.”

Danny's fuse blew out. ”I don’t want to see another person dying for something I was responsible for!” He cried out.

At this, Colleen’s temper cooled. She slowly and oh so carefully laid her hands on his shoulders, basking in his attention. His eyes were downcast and heavy, but they took her in, not wanting to miss a single detail.

“Don’t you think I feel the same way? Every time I hear you talk about destroying the Hand, I can’t help but think, ‘What if it’s the last time he says this? What if this is the last thing he says to me?’ But I know I can’t stop you.”

She tightened her grip, pulling him closer to her.

”That’s why I always feel safer when we’re together. We always got our backs and anything you miss, I’ll pick it up. We balance each other. But Danny, we’re fighting against a centuries-old cult. We need all the help we can get. It may not be ideal but working together with others is our best bet. If we do that, then people can finally stop dying.”

Danny looked at her, his lips quivering, and suddenly, her neck was warm with his breath as his face nestled into her shoulder.

”Okay. Alright. Just you, me, and twenty other people, huh?” He whispered against her neck.

Colleen smiled, her arms reaching around his back as they embraced.

”Yeah. You, me, and twenty other people.”

 

* * *

 

Jessica wasn’t sure what she’ll find at her apartment, but she wasn’t going to wait around in the dumpster she woke up in to find out.  
   
As soon as she had felt the earthquake underneath the black bags of garbage she was using as a bed, she had done what most drunk misers do: gone back to sleep.  
   
When she finally woke up and stayed awake, she realized she had left her apartment unlocked during a natural disaster and ran off to protect her shit.  
   
Maybe run wasn’t a good word to use. It was more like shuffle around and ignore her raging headache. There was also the blinding sunlight, and the sound of people crying. You know, shit she didn’t care about.  
   
When she reached her apartment, it still looked ruined by G.I Simpson and Trish hashing it out. She didn’t even need to open the door.  She could look through the fucking hole that was still in her wall and see that no one had bothered with any of the shitty stuff.  
   
Even the stupid phone was still blinking green.  
   
Stumbling through, she went to her phone and deleted the voicemail. If it was something important, they would have to meet her in person.  
   
She slumped down into her office chair, her head falling onto the desk, only to groan in pain from the rough paper scratching her cheek.  
   
Sitting up, very reluctantly, she tried to shake off the paper, which was sticking to her fucking face. But alcohol is very sticky, and the rough paper — an envelope — refused to budge.  
   
So she picked it up, tore it open, and looked at it just to see a blank piece of paper with four words scribbled on with quality black ink.  
   
   
Leave the case alone, it said.  
   
   
Whoever sent this definitely did not do their research on her.  
   
Because nothing gets her moving like someone discouraging her.  
   
In any case, someone invaded her apartment and she needed to do something about that.  Getting up, Jessica scrutinized the room with trained eyes to find any detail the suspect might have left behind.  
   
The room was a mess, that much was already established. There were office papers that she had pushed off her desk littering the floor. There were bits of plaster and dust pushed to the corners of the room that Jessica hadn’t bothered to clean. The cupboards had like three books in it, but right on top of it was a mug filled with fungi and mud water.  
   
So far everything was normal.  
   
The holes in the walls were half-stuffed with ramen because Naruto thought that ramen fixes everything, but halfway through his construction work, he got hungry and thought that pouring hot water and seasoning into the holes and trying to eat the ramen like that was a great idea.  
   
The walls, apart from the holes, looked okay, but there was that one with the black smudge from Trish trying to kill a cockroach that crept up on her.  
   
And in the window, there was a guy who looked like Mr. Donovan in a sweater, running away from her apartment.  
   
She could take the stairs but by then, he would be long gone. Usually, she would have given up by now but he had gone through her stuff and vaguely threatened her.  
   
Something she couldn’t tolerate.  
   
So, Jessica hunched up her shoulders and jumped out from the window, aiming her body to land where the guy was.  
   
As usual, her landings would terrify any good pilot as she fell right before the guy. A shock ran up her body as her knees buckled and gravity punched her in the gut.  
   
Stomach rumbling from the impact, fluid rushed up to her throat and left her mouth in a stream of vomit. Coincidentally, of course, at Mr. Donovan.  
   
Not the classiest of moves, but then again, she had just woken up on top of a pile of garbage this morning.  
   
She gagged out the rest of yesterday’s meal, wiping her lips as her target had started to scream.  
   
”What the fuck were you doing in my office?” Jessica challenged. Not even a slip like this would get Jessica out of her P.I mode.  
   
“AAUGHH! Did you just throw up on me, you fucking bitch!”  
   
There was a strong urge to pummel him right then and there but she wasn't sure her stomach would allow it. Instead, she answered with a snarky comeback.  
   
”Consider it an improvement from your usual looks.”  
   
As Mr. Donovan continued to scream, he started to wipe off some of the chunks of throw up she had—err— thrown up at him.  
   
Revealing a face that was definitely not Mr. Donovan.  
   
Jessica stared in shock as the stranger continued to swipe at his face and yell expletives. Worse, lights were flashing from the phones of pedestrians recording this fuckfest.  
   
”Shit, I thought you were someone else—“  
   
”Freeze! Police!”  
   
Well, fuck.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Matt notices when he walks into the bar with his cane is that this looked like the setup of one of Foggy's terrible jokes.

The second thing Matt notices is that Foggy is breathing through a clenched jaw, and his heart is pumping like someone is squeezing it. There's a sharp inhale, and he can sense Foggy relaxing. Tapping lightly on a chair, he gestures for Matt to come and sit.

Matt indulges him, and he hears his heart skip a beat, a realization hitting him.

”I forgot that I don’t need to do that. You could probably tell anyway.” Foggy taps his fingers against the chair, but stops, moving his fingers to his cup instead.

Matt can say something playful, like ‘It was actually because it was the same seat that we always sit in'. Or, if he's really feeling the catholic spirit, he can actually be honest and say ‘It’s a nice reminder that you still care'.

But Matt isn’t in a playful or honest mood.

For the past 24 hours, he listened to the screams of anguish from the people in Hell’s Kitchen suffering the brunt of the earthquake.

He couldn’t do anything. He couldn't move his arms or legs. He couldn't make a sound. Everything was too much. The yells and the shouts and the crying and the coughing and the choking and the dying.

Hell’s Kitchen had been the Devil’s plaything and Matt had sat in his apartment and done nothing.

He used to (still do) struggle against his identities, the lawyer versus the vigilante.

He hadn’t thought that being a coward was another part of his conflict.

So, Matt plows forth and ignores the awkward greetings from Foggy.

”What do you want from me, Foggy?”

His friend—is he still a friend, he can’t tell—sighs drops his cup from his fingers and lets it shake across the bar counter.

”Is it too much for you to consider that maybe I wanted to check up on you? That earthquake hit Hell’s Kitchen pretty hard.”

Matt wonders if he should order a drink but then he realizes he doesn’t deserve it.

”Well, I'm fine. My apartment only shook around while everyone else was screaming so there’s that.”

Matt can hear what no one else can pick up, the glass pressuring under the force of Foggy’s squeezing his cup,. His ears perk up at the air shifting as he breathed faster. His nostrils flared from the scent of blood as Foggy bit his tongue so hard that he bled. Nothing escaped his notice.

”I didn’t come here to listen to you throw a pity party. I came here as a friend.” Foggy’s voice turns rough and hard as it does when he gets angry.

But Matt is just as angry.

No, he’s even angrier.

Because Matt might be a liar but at least he accepts Foggy for who he is.

A lawyer, a mediator, a jokester, a good man, a friend.

Foggy will never accept his darker side.

But that’s okay because he gave it up, right?

He’s not like that anymore. He’s the pro bono lawyer? The guy that secured a million dollars for the mom that got screwed over by a coal factory? The guy that helped the poor man from his slumlords?

He’s Matt Murdock?

He’s Matt Murdock. That had to be a complete sentence.

But Foggy was talking while Matt was thinking and he feels something like paper under his hands— a manilla folder.

”Just occupy yourself with these cases. By the time you finish all of them, that ... thing will completely be out of your mind.”

Matt flips through the files, his fingers rubbing on the round Braille dots. He gulps down dry air and it slashes his throat as he swallows.

He can take these cases, he can forget.

It takes all his strength to work his face, using the correct muscles to form some semblance of a smile.

”I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.”

Outside the sword bereaves; inside there is only death.

Words slip through Foggy’s lips fast and smooth but his heartbeat patters like a drum. ”Well, I know how hard it is for you so I thought this would be a good distraction. So you won’t backslide.”

No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my soul.

Matt walks away from the bar, the rustle of folders shuffled into his bag still echoing in his ear.

He marches towards a library, one arm clutching the folder and the other using his cane.

There are people crying and the streets beckon to him, but he will not heed its call.

Look around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me?

 

* * *

 

Danny gripped Colleen’s hand, nodding to her as they stood in front of the decrepit building.

The cement coating the bricks was peeling. Cobwebs were decorating the columns around the building. Some of the windows cracked apart and all of them had dust clinging on the glass.

The very atmosphere of it screamed at Danny’s senses to run far, far away.

”I feel like I’m about to sentence these people to their death.” Danny whispered.

Colleen’s grip tightened, her lips thinning into a straight line, but she didn’t refute him.

She was brave enough for both of them and knocked on the steel door.

Something rustled, some voices whispered, and the door opened. It revealed a woman in brown overalls with a black shirt underneath. Face full of suspicion, she stared at them through brown, narrowed eyes.

Her gaze was thorough and meticulous. But then, her eyes widened and she froze, letting out a soft gasp.

”This can’t be . . . I thought The Iron Fist was off the grid . . .” She muttered.

Before Danny and Colleen could change their minds, the woman grabbed both of their arms.

”Come in, come in. The Iron Fist is always welcome here.” She sang, her melodious tones echoing through the warehouse she dragged them into.

They passed through different clusters of people. Every previous action is forgotten as the soldiers stared at Danny and Colleen instead. Walking down the flights of stairs, Danny noticed the number of people watching them. The sound of following footsteps grew louder, and Colleen tried to ignore the crowd full of wide eyes.

They stopped right in front of a huge clearing, the mass of followers halting as well.

"Everyone, attention!" Their host yelled at the crowd, silencing them almost immediately.

"Brethren, we have fought for centuries against the Hand. A bitter struggle that continued with the birth of every generation. Many of us have died in the fight against tyranny,

leaving us, the survivors, to pick up the pieces and bodies. But now, we will no longer lose another man in our midst. We have finally found our savior, the mighty warrior that would lead us to victory against the Hand. I welcome to you all, the salvation of the Chaste: the Iron Fist!" Her voice echoed over the followers like a waterfall surging over the mountains. The air hummed with awe and wonder as hundreds looked at the Iron Fist, the one that would lead them in this fight.

Then, one by one, they fell to their knees. It started with the host. Then, a few other people sunk to their floor. Finally, the whole army is kneeling down in utmost reverence for Danny.

Colleen looked at the display, her eyes wide from disbelief.

There's no way this is happening.

She's not sure what she expected to see when she turned to check how Danny was doing. But watching him gaze over the people with his eyes gleaming from conviction? Not one of the options.

Is he going along with all this?

"As K'un-Lun's mightiest warrior, I will not rest until I defeat the Hand. I am honored you have chosen me to lead you, and I will not fail: The Hand will die by my fist!" With that declaration, Danny raised his fist in the air. The warehouse shook with the roars of a hundred soldiers, all empowered by Danny's speech.

"Are you sure you can live up to that claim?"

Everyone turned to see the owner of the voice, a large man hiding inside a large, red cloak. At the wave of his hand, the crowd dismissed themselves and returned to their duties. Even their host bowed her head and shuffled away.

Danny glanced at the new arrival and furrowed his brows. "Who are you supposed to be?" he asked.

The man glared at them with hard, black eyes. His voice was rough and deep, every syllable produced bending the air around it.

"I am the actual leader of the Chaste. You may call me Stone." He brought out his hand and Danny shook it, trying to decipher the man in front of him.

"I'm Danny Rand, and this is my partner, Colleen Wing." He gestured towards her, with Colleen sparing the man a nod.

Stone looked at her, his eyes scrutinizing her so hard that she had to resist the urge to shift in place.

"I see. She can follow us as we have much to discuss about our common enemy." Stone said as he walked away, Colleen none too happy about his statement.

As Colleen and Danny followed him, Colleen fumed, her steps turning into stomps. She and Danny needed to have a serious discussion about this. She's well aware that she got brainwashed into fighting for the Hand. She's not going to deny that. But, maybe she wasn't the only one with their mind messed up. Danny drank up every word these people said. She wished he wasn't so naive, but that's why she was here, she supposed. Something was going on behind the scenes, she could feel it.

Soon enough, they reached a set of steel doors, wrapped with steel locks and knobs. Stone had no problem unlocking each padlock on the door, not giving away any sign of unease. Color her surprised; she didn't think he had it in him. If it was Danny, he would have tried to break the door down by now.

When the doors unlocked, they walked into some sort of meeting room. This room was better furnished than the rest of the warehouse. The walls weren't bare with concrete but painted sleek black with red trimmings. The floors were all tiled and Colleen could see her reflection in it. As Stone marched towards one of the seats close to the large, smooth and wooden table, she spotted wine glasses set by each seat.

Colleen sat down on the soft chair, wondering what Danny's opinion was of this. To her disappointment, He was still staring at Stone, his brows furrowed up in all seriousness.

"I heard what happened to K'un-Lun. My deepest apologies." He started off.

Danny shook his head, a certain darkness taking hold of his facial features.

"My people fought well, but the Hand overwhelmed them. It was . . . too much." He hesitated a bit but rushed through the rest of his thought.

"Hmmm, this makes me wonder, though. After how the Hand brought the great K'un-Lun to its knees," Stone picked up the wine glass, twirling it in his hand. "Could it be that the great Iron Fist is not as powerful as prophesied?"

Colleen slammed her hands on the table, shaking all the wine glasses around. "Danny has spent the past year fighting members of the Hand! You have no right—"

"I don't believe I was talking to you." Stone interrupted.

Colleen's fingers twitched, and her voice dropped to a deadly tone. "If you can't bother to treat us as human beings, then you don't deserve to talk to either one of us."

But Danny grabbed her wrist, prompting her to look at him instead.

"Colleen, stand down. It's fine." He said.

Colleen wanted to say more but Danny had that look on his face. The one that said 'I'm a giant whiny bitch and if you don't listen to me, I'll start bitching.'

So she sat back down, already looking forward to chewing him out in private.

"These feelings and emotions are . . . cute. But we're fighting a war; I need good soldiers, not good human beings." He sighed.

"There are capable men in this city that have the power to fight the good fight, but they're too soft. I hope our Iron Fist doesn't suffer the same weakness." He continued.

"I won't disappoint you. With our powers combined, we can destroy the Hand for good." Danny said.

Stone leaned back into his seat, his muscles relaxing. He pulled out a tactical map and laid it out on the table. "Good, but I need to know that you're ready. We have been planning a big move against the Hand for a while now. Ever since the Hand wiped out our forces overseas, we've been itching to return the favor. Here is one of the major bases that the Hand has for their more nefarious schemes. I want you to join the team in scoping out the hideout so our troops can invade it."

"I thought you saw me as one of the heavy hitters in this operation. Why are you assigning me as the lookout? I should be out there with the rest of the soldiers fighting!"

"It's like you said, you're our trump card. Any decent player would know not to pull their strongest man out at the beginning of the game. Besides, I need to know how you work. I want to trust you Danny, but I have to have something to work with."

". . . I see . . ."

Stone stood up from his seat, picked up his map, and led them out of the room.

"One of our commanders will explain the niceties of the plan. But until then," He slammed the door, the locks sliding into place, "I'll be watching you." The man turned in the opposite direction, heading down the hallways as his cloak swung in the air.

It was quiet for a minute before Danny gathered his thoughts.

"Colleen, do you see this?! I can't believe I ever doubted this place! We actually have a chance in defeating the Hand!" Danny tried to grab her shoulder but she nudged him off.

"What? Why are you so upset? This was your plan in the first place."

"Well, I regret it now!" Colleen startled a bit. She wasn't aware her voice would end up so loud.

"Danny," She tried again in a lower voice, "I don't trust these people. I thought we were working with a few survivors. This is a whole organization!"

Danny tilted his head. "I don't understand. Isn't it supposed to be an organization?"

"No, I mean, think about it? How do they know about you? or K'un-Lun? They haven't even told us why they're fighting against the Hand."

"They did say it: because the Hand is evil. And we have enough time to talk about K'un-Lun and everything. We've only found this place today, after all."

Colleen rose her brow, skepticism spilling across her face. "It's too early to explain about their past, but they can already send you out on one of their missions? This doesn't make any sense."

Danny walked closer, pointing at her. "You know what I think? I think the reason you're upset about all this is because you don't like Stone. Don't think I didn't see how hard you were glaring at him."

Colleen's frown deepened. She slapped Danny's hand away, hissing out "I'm more upset you didn't have a problem with all the shit he was saying. I'm telling you, there's something wrong here."

But Danny waved her off. "You're overreacting. If you come with me on the lookout mission, I'm sure it will clear up all your issues with the Chaste?"

"If? If I come with you? What makes you think I wasn't coming in the first place!?"

"Colleen . . ."

"No, Danny. I'm going to take a walk. I have a bad feeling about this place, and if you're going to ignore it, then I rather spend some time alone." Colleen walked away from him, not looking back.

As she headed downstairs, she heard him call out "Are you at least coming on the mission tonight?"

Sometimes, she wondered if it was better to call him the Idiot Fist instead.

 

* * *

 

"So, vomit huh?"

"I was having a rough morning, sue me."

Jessica was currently sitting in an interrogation room, chained to the table. Right beside her was a pudgy, bald officer reading a paper to her.

Well, that paper was actually her list of charges. And the officer? He's having a fun time telling her exactly what his buddies' opinions of her are.

"I'm not going to sue you, but your poor victim will! Was the whole superpowers thing getting boring? You wanted to see how you can really terrify citizens, huh?" The officer chuckled.

"Keep talking and I'll show you something terrifying."

"Hah! With those chains on, I don't think you're going to do anything to me."

And so, it was with great pleasure, that Jessica flexed her wrists. The twist of her joints bent steel like it was aluminum until it snapped apart. If Jessica was evil, she'll beat this piece of shit up, but unfortunately, she wasn't. She was only an asshole, so she smirked instead, watching the officer back away with fear dancing in his eyes.

But then, the door slammed open.

"Don't say a word. This woman is now my client." Jessica focused her attention on the man wearing sheer black glasses — a blind man? — marching into the interrogation room.

"I'm sorry," He paused. "Did I interrupt something here?"

The police officer stared, face blank as he blinked at both of them. But soon, something clicked and he started to gather up his papers, sweat lining his brow. 

"Oh, no, no, no! I-I finished reading the charges. Yeah, charges ... I'll leave you to your client now." With that, he bolted out, leaving Jessica alone with the lawyer.

Common courtesy would say to help the man to his seat. But Jessica was more skeptical than polite, choosing to scrutinize the man as he shuffled to his seat.

"I don't remember calling for a lawyer." Jessica glared, her body leaning onto the table.

"You didn't. I have a habit of helping lost souls. I guess it's the Catholic in me." He replied.

"Well, let me give you some words from a 'lost soul': get lost."

"Before I do that, let me inform you of some things, Ms. Jones."

"Like what? I'm in trouble for puking on someone?”

"That's simplifying it." The lawyer pulled out three folders from his bag, all filled to the brim with papers.

"This is your file, Ms. Jones. One-third of it, at least." He dropped them on the table and it wobbled from the sudden force.

She leaned in closer, studying the stacks held together by the bunches of paper clips.

"The police have been investigating you for a while. You're involved in at least 1/10 of the cases the NYPD has this month. The DA knows you on a first-name basis."

"Is this a point to this?" Jessica interrupted.

The lawyer straightened his back and cleared his throat. "Long story short, you can't go to court. Chances are, you'll go to court with a jury, and one look at your past history will get you convicted. You may even get a sentence of a year or two in prison."

"What?!" Jessica drew back. "All I did was puke on him, for fuck's sake!"

"It doesn't help that you're . . . gifted. One of the charges brought against you is attempted murder via toxic vomit."

Jessica snorted at the ridiculousness of it all. "Even I know that won't hold up in court. You can ask the bouncers at the bar down the 15th. They’re still alive."

The lawyer cracked a smile, a half-smile, the corner of one lip was higher than another so it counted. "I'll be sure to call them sometime."

"Hahaha . . . shit. I don't have time to deal with this. Are you sure I can't just pay the guy?" Jessica poked at the remains of her handcuffs scattered across the table.

"Actually, he offered an amount that will get him to drop all the charges against you. I didn't think that you'll want to go for that option, though." The lawyer said as he pulled out another paper.

Impatient as ever, Jessica snatched it from his hand. "You thought wrong, give me it. Wait . . . what the fuck is this?" Jessica held up the paper, revealing the dots spread all over it.

"Ah, that's my copy... Here's yours right here." The lawyer definitely smirked this time, holding another file that Jessica begrudgingly exchanged.

Only for her to drop it a few seconds later.

"There has to be something illegal about this. He wants me to pay this much?!"

The lawyer scratched his head, huffing as he held the file.

”He says it covers the cost of dry-cleaning and therapy sessions. But I’m sure we can find a better sol—“

”I’ll pay it.” Jessica deadpanned.

”Ms. Jones, I know from your file what you do for a living and it’s not enough to pay for this.”

Jessica ignored him in favor of putting on her leather jacket. “How long do I have to pay him?”

”By the end of the week, but I still—“

”Tell the dude he’ll get his money on time. If I solve this case, I might even be able to repair the hole in my walls.” Jessica muttered that last part before shoving her files into her bag.

As she rushed towards the door, the lawyer lunged out and grabbed her wrist.

”Ms. Jones—“ He started.

”Keep holding me and I’ll rip your arm off.”

He let go of her as fast as he grabbed her. 

Instead, he crossed his arms against his chest. “What kind of case would offer you that amount of money?” He asked.

”I don’t need you to get into my goddamn business, Mr . . . What is your name anyway?”

”Matt. Matt Murdock.”

”Thanks. Now stick to your job or leave me alone, Murdock.”

Jessica stomped out of the room, making sure to slam the door shut.

And as Matt starts to pick up his files, he wonders if it's a good idea to follow Ms. Jones. He has to make sure she wasn’t doing anything illegal, as her lawyer, anyway.

But he wasn’t an officer, and there’s no telling how Jessica would react if she found out. No, that was wrong because she would definitely beat the shit out of him.

It’s a horrible idea.

He’s going to do it anyway.

 

* * *

 

Luke leaned against a counter, a red marker staining his fingertips.

He was tracking Mariah’s latest moves and just as everyone said, she’s been quiet.

He would love to use this opportunity to finally gather evidence to put her ass in prison. Unfortunately, he has bigger problems right now.

Tamia was right; there have been a lot of kids accepting random jobs only for them to either come back dead or not at all.

When he was walking with Claire, he couldn’t help but notice that almost every wall and pole had a missing kids poster plastered on it. People were getting angrier and cagey.

These days, the streets were either crowded with people cheering on fights or dead silent. There was a whole lot of tension and nowhere for the pressure to escape. If he didn’t do something soon, everything will blow up eventually.

He’s been trying to find the boss of the whole operations, but everything’s been kept under wraps.

There's a ton of conflicting rumors to the point that some people believe it's an alien invasion.

The only constant in Luke’s research was the black guy dressed in a white suit sauntering around to offer kids a job.

If only Luke could get something he could use, like a name or even a location.

He doubted he would find the guy walking around the streets casually, so that option was out. Plus, no one had any information about who this guy was.

He was stuck, and not even making an investigation board was helping him.

Looking back at the web he had constructed, he crossed off one of the pictures that turned out to be a dead end.

”Looks like the news was right all along, Luke Cage is back.”

Luke turned his head to see the door to the barbershop open, and Misty Knight walking in, a smile stretching her face.

”Misty! Don’t tell me you missed me?”

”Not one bit!” Misty laughed as she hugged Luke.

“With the earthquake yesterday, I wasn’t sure if they would let you go, but I guess I was worrying for nothing. And it looks like you’re back in business too. What’s this for?" Misty pointed at the web that Luke had made using a dry erase board, pins, and a red marker as lines to connect the clues.

”I heard there was someone out there recruiting kids off the streets. I tried tracking them down but I didn't get anything except for something about a guy in a white suit. You know anything about that?”

Misty shook her head, her hands resting on her hips as she looked at the board again.

”I’ve heard it whispered around a few times but everything is all hushed up. The department doesn’t even want us to look into it. They’re shutting all attempts down.”

Luke smirked at her, waving his marker around.

”Good thing I’m here after all, huh?”

They both chuckled at that, with Misty nudging him with her elbow.

After a few seconds, Luke sobered up and started to look at the web again. “But why wouldn’t the police want anyone to look into it? What are they hiding?”

Misty's head swiveled from the web to face Luke. "What makes you think the police are hiding something?"

"You said it yourself: the higher-ups don't want you looking into this. What reason could the police have for not investigating disappearing kids? Apart from the usual ones, that is."

As Misty started to rant about how important having trust in the system is, Luke's phone buzzed.

Sneaking a look at his phone, he skimmed the message, his eyes widening as he got the gist.

"What? What's with that look? Did you find anything?"

Luke grabbed his hoodie off the coat rack, running past Misty. “Maybe, I'll call you if it turns out to be a lead!"

It was definitely a lead, but Luke didn't want any cover-ups in case the police came.

Tamia had texted him the location her brother was going to.

 

* * *

 

Matt leans against a wall, his cane rapping back and forth on the street to keep up pretenses.

Apart from the few people that have come up to him asking if he needs help, no one notices what he's doing.

Eavesdropping.

Ms. Jones should fix the window she jumped out of. Her voice razes the air with rugged tones and strident highs. Anyone with a good microphone could pick it up. Matt's enhanced senses are more than enough for this job.

Right now, all he can hear is the clacking of a keyboard, with Ms. Jones exhaling a sigh every few minutes. There's another person in her apartment as well. Female, roughly the same age, and reading a book judging by the sounds of pages flapping.

Matt's legs were starting to numb when he finally hears a voice.

Directed at him.

"Matt, what are you doing here? You're usually not down in these parts." He hears Foggy approach him, his steps getting faster.

For a second, Matt's brain goes on overload trying to figure out how to get rid of Foggy. By the time he sorts out some semblance of a plan, Foggy is by his side, turning his head around.

"Is there something special about this place or what? You're just leaning against this wall?"

"Foggy, what are you doing here?"

Foggy's breath hitches. A frigid breeze bites at exposed skin but it falls below Matt's perceptions. Everything's inconspicuous compared to the space Foggy takes.

"My job is only a few blocks by. I was about to head out for lunch—"

Matt raises a hand, interrupting him. "No, Foggy. I meant, why are you here? with me?"

When Foggy replies, his voice is low with bitterness. "Are you going to ask me that? After everything?"

"I'm not in the suit, am I? I'm following up on the client you gave to me. You've seen how large Ms. Jones's file is." His voice sounds misconstrued. It's too sharp, angry almost.

The air swishes and Matt can tell that Foggy threw his hands up. He faces towards Foggy and he feels the air warm from his friend's (friend?) harsh breaths. Rage flows out from Foggy like a leaky pipe and Matt is just as eager to respond.

"What is your problem?! You have EVERYTHING we've been dreaming of since college! Isn't it enough?!"

"You don't understand," Matt says, his anger decreasing.

"Then make me understand. We've been friends for years, Matt, for Pete's sake."

"I was telling the truth when I said I lost my sight in an accident. But I never told you how, and . . . "

Matt's voice breaks, clogged with emotion he can't bury any more. Fogged up memories flash in his mind of smoldering chemicals seeping into his eyes. Hot, searing, desecrating—

"Never mind, you won't understand." Matt shakes his head, pushes it all down.

"You miss it, don't you?" Foggy hisses.

"What? I don't understand—"

"Don't act stupid with me, Matt. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

And Matt is quiet, pondering Foggy's accusations.

He's wrong, of course. There's no way he misses it. He's happy with how his life is. He's a lawyer with a good reputation. He lives in a cheap but good apartment. The love of his life is dead. He lost all his friends.

Matt can afford to tell the truth now.

"It's like I'm living with half of my soul, Foggy." Exhaustion drips from his voice, like an old dog waiting for death to arrive.

For a second, there's complete silence.

But then, life moves on. People walk on by, cars speed up as the light turns green, and Ms. Jones starts to yell from her 5-story apartment.

"I don't get it, Trish! These records go all the way to the 1700s. Why the fuck would anyone shuffle an insurance company around so much?"

Matt turns rigid. This is the moment he's been waiting for.

"What's going on? What are you about to do?" Foggy's voice shoots through Matt's focus.

Oh, he still needs to get rid of Foggy.

"I told you to listen to me. These are some of the details you should be looking at as a P.I." The young woman's voice has a tang of satisfaction.

"You suggested it as a joke. But this doesn't make sense. Why would an insurance company hand out $5 million life to their 'alive' client? There's no way they didn't know, the company he works for partners with them!"

Matt listens to the sounds of stomping and slammed doors. Ms. Jones was on the move.

"Foggy, you need to go. now." He advises.

"No way, I'm not going anywhere unless you're coming with me. Look, Matt, you're not even wearing your suit. At this rate, you're going to ruin both of our careers!"

"They're coming! Move over here!" Matt shushes him and drags him behind a wall.

Right as they hide, Ms. Jones shuffles out of the cobblestone apartment, with her blonde companion strolling behind.

Ms. Jones digs through her pockets, turn them inside-out. "Trish, I need money for the cab."

"Or you can let me drive. We can be partners! The Trish and Jess—"

"Fuck that! And why would your name be in the front? You know what? I'll walk."

"It's too far, you'll end up walking for hours. Then you'll show up to the house, crank and ready to get arrested again. Just let me go with you. Please." Trish pleads.

"Fine. But when we get there, you're staying in the car."

The two women head off and Matt immediately hails down a cab.

"Matt, don't tell me you're going to follow them. That's Jessica Jones. You know, made headlines for killing a man a few weeks ago? This is crazy!" Foggy grabs Matt's wrist.

"She was in your case files." Matt points out, shaking Foggy's hand off. Right then, a cab swerves over to the pavement, stopping in front of them.

As Matt gets into the cab, Foggy shoves him aside as he crams himself inside the car.

"What are you doing?! I told you to get away from this!"

Foggy ignores Matt, facing the driver instead. "Hey, follow that silver car."

Matt huffs, crumpling down into his seat. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

Foggy rearranges his suit, putting his collar in place. "Yes, I do. I'm looking after my friend and making sure he doesn't get himself arrested."

A vein pops out from Matt's forehead but he restrains himself from arguing, deciding that reticence is a better option for this car ride.

Meanwhile, Trish drove down the streets, glancing at the GPS every few seconds. She was trying to talk to Jessica, but it was like talking to a brick wall.

"I'm telling you, it's all weird. He never misses a day. Never. I won't say he shows up on time but at least he shows up."

Jessica scoffed, relaxing in the passenger seat. "You know, sometimes, people get this thing called a 'disease'."

Trish resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Jess. "Naruto's never gotten sick. Remember that time I got the flu from you, and you got the flu from one of your hookups? Naruto was with us for the entire time we were sick and he still didn't catch it."

"Maybe he got a flu shot?" Even that didn't sound believable to her ears.

"It would take the entire hospital staff to sedate him for that. We would have seen it on the news." Trish chuckled, imagining twelve nurses trying to fight Naruto.

"Yeah, and he'll win too," Jessica added.

"Yeah, he would win. Maybe you're right. He must have overslept or got detention, or something. I'm overthinking it." Trish said, her hands latching onto the steering wheel.

Jessica glanced at Trish, her eyes scrutinizing the frown in the rear mirror.

Leaning back, she sighed and rapped her knuckles against Trish's seat. "Hey. If this doesn't end in someone getting murdered, then we'll head down to that guy's apartment and check on him. Deal?"

Trish managed a small smile. "Deal."

After a few minutes, she pulled up to the mansion towering over the grassy hills. Trish's eyes popped out of her head, impressed with the sights. She tried to focus on the curved driveway, but the gorgeous terraces were too much of a distraction.

"Do you see what I'm seeing, Jess? This is so amazing." Trish slowed down the car to peer at the large palm trees swaying with the other deciduous trees.

"Yeah, how the fuck did these people build a house like this in New York? I thought this shithole is an island." Jessica said as she stared at the miles of grass that a state with crowded apartments should not have.

Trish drove up to the top of the hill, right on time to see the owners in the middle of a heated argument.

There was luggage strewn across the lawn, and clothes scrambled about. The indignant yells mingled with the squawks of frightened birds, disrupting the tranquility. The pandemonium of the situation destroyed the whole picture-perfect family aesthetic.

And right in the center of the mayhem was Mr. Donovan pulling his wife into his car, with the latter trying to escape.

Throwing the door open, Jessica and Trish ran out of the car to see the husband closing the car door on Mrs. Donovan.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Trish dashed towards the man, ignoring Jessica's protests.

Mr. Donovan turned around, aiming a fist at Trish. But Trish was too fast and grabbed his arm, flipping him over her shoulder. He tried to roll to his side, but Jessica stepped on his chest, lodging him in place.

For a few seconds, Jessica tilted her head, staring at Trish with widened eyes. But the scrambling under her foot shook her out of her reverie and back to reality.

"Trish, what the fuck was that?!" Jessica yelled.

Trish flipped her hair to the side, looking up at Jessica. "Krav Maga."

"I told you to stay in the car." Jessica gritted out.

But before Trish could reply, Mrs. Donovan ran out from the car, running up to Jessica.

"Let him go! He's going to run out of air!"

Jessica rolled her eyes, before lifting her boot only an inch higher than before. It was the right amount of space for his chest to rise without touching her sole.

"Your husband isn't who he says he is, Mrs. Donovan. I'll suggest calling a divorce lawyer, or even a regular lawyer. Who knows what kind of shit he pulled with your finances." Jessica advised.

Mrs. Donovan turned towards Jessica, her eyes filling up with tears. "Did you find anything?"

"Find anything? You hired her?!" Mr. Donovan puffed out, wriggling under Jessica's hold like a cockroach.

"Yeah, and guess what? The cat’s out of the bag. I know all about you faking your death, you piece of shi—“

"I didn't fake my death, I did die!" Mr. Donovan shouted out, his voice cracking.

Those words made the trio pause, eliciting wide eyes and shocked gasps.

But then, Trish's stare hardened and she answered "That's not possible. People don't die and come back to life."

"I did, I swear it on my grave! Let me explain." Mr. Donovan pleaded.

Jessica was reluctant to let go of him. From his behavior so far, he looked like he might be insane. Yet, one tap on her shoulder and a heartfelt "please" from Mrs. Donovan convinced her otherwise.

Mr. Donovan rolled out from Jessica's hold, coughing and panting as he sat on the green grass. Jessica looked back at his wife to see her holding herself back from running to her husband's side. The husband that faked his death. The man that attacked Trish on sight.

Looking at her caused a scowl to twist onto her face.

"You have 5 minutes to make it convincing, or else I'm calling the police." Jessica snapped.

"Okay, okay. It started last year when I got a job at Atlantic Laboratories." Mr. Donovan explained. "At first, it was a nice job. I was working with other scientists in sustaining the human body while it was undergoing chemotherapy and cancer proliferation."

Jessica’s eyes narrowed as she focused on the name of the company. Atlantic Laboratories. It was one of the many subsidiaries that Mr. Donovan's insurance company had.

"It gave me good health insurance, dental. It was like a dream job. And I kept getting promotions too. I even impressed the higher-ups with my work ethic. But I started to notice things. Some of the things we were studying didn't make sense for helping with cancer cells. And worse, I wasn't the only one that noticed. Some of my coworkers would disappear, only for my boss to tell everyone that they were dead a few days later. I couldn't do it anymore. I had to get out." He rambled.

"But then," His face turned pale and his voice quieted down to almost nothing.

"The day I put in my two-week notice, I got hit by a truck and died."

Mrs. Donovan crumpled up, her body slumping down as she fell next to husband on the grass.

“Frederick . . .” She whispered.

“I know I died. I ... I felt it. The truck slamming into my chest. My bones . . . there was so much pain. There was no way I survived it. I know it.” His voice was small and meek, punctuated by the shivers that ran up his body every few seconds.

“And yet you’re here now.” Trish pointed out.

”They brought me back to life. I woke up in the hospital still hooked up to IV wires. My boss walked in, telling me I'm promoted and going to work tomorrow. I didn't even get a week to rest. After that, it was like it never happened. My accident or my resignation. They forced me to do all their dirty work, their unethical experiments. They said they’ll kill me if I don’t obey their rules!”

“You expect me to believe that? You couldn’t go to the police? You went along with ‘their’ bullshit?” Jessica mocked.

”Who’s ‘they’ and what were you forced to do?” Trish asked.

”My boss. His boss. I got all my work from the board of trustees in charge of Atlantic Laboratories. They made me develop and test different solutions that would rejuvenate human cells. They got them from human test subjects. They trapped them and experimented on them like lab rats. I didn’t want to do what they told me to, but—“

”You still did. You can say all the ‘buts’ you like, you’re still an asshole.”

Mr. Donovan turned towards Jessica, his face lit with fury.

”I’d like to see what you would have done in my position!”

”Better than you for sure.”

”Jess, stop antagonizing him. We need to call the police to take down that company.” Trish reasoned.

But Mr. Donovan backed away, shuffling to his car as he protested with wide-eyed.

”No, no, no, no, no, NO. You don’t think they haven’t dipped their hands in the police department?! You can call the police. I’m not staying a single second in this city. My wife and I are going. Now.” He opened the car door and gestured to his wife, only for Mrs. Donovan to turn away from him.

”I think we should help them. Running won’t solve any problems.”

Mr. Donovan made a face, while Jessica scoffed.

“Glad to know who has the brains in your relationship. Even if this thing is true—which I call bullshit— you still admitted to being a criminal. I’m not letting that pass because you’re scared.”

”I don’t know, Jess. I think this guy is telling the truth.” Trish said, her eyes shifting between the scientist and Jessica.

Jessica scoffed, looking at everyone with a scowl on her face. “This is ridiculous. You expect me to believe that someone can come back to life? That this guy is Jesus or something? I’ll need to see it with my own eyes, not hear it from the mouth of a man two one foot in a psychiatric hospital.”

Just as Jessica said that, something whizzed past her ear, slicing the tip of it.

”Shit!” She threw her hands up to her ear, looking at the blood seeping on her hands. Her attention buzzed back and forth, from the blood to Mr. Donovan’s screaming.

“It’s in my arm! Take it out, take it out!”

“It’s deep inside. I don’t think we should remove it right now.”

Jessica turned around to see Trish holding the man’s arm, a huge sword protruding from the appendage.

”Please tell me that’s not a fucking sword.” Jessica swore, rubbing blood onto her jeans.

”They’re here for my husband!” Mrs. Donovan cried, screaming as someone pushed her down to the ground.

Whoever they were, they were fast. Even in the miles of open fields, Jessica didn’t notice them. They also looked like some type of assassin. No one else would come here wearing a red cloak, black leather pants, and a complicated top. And by the long brown hair swaying in the air and the chest, Jessica was going to assume the assassin was a woman.

A dangerous woman, telling by the big ass sword she was wielding in her left hand.

But Jessica had a bloody ear and a lot of unchecked rage right now.

”Trish, take both of them to the car, now!” Jessica yelled as she started to run towards the woman.

She launched the first hit and threw a punch, only to stumble when the woman twisted out of her reach.

Jessica tried to punch again but the assassin grabbed her arm and flipped over her. As Jessica was trying to recover, the woman punched her in the stomach, and flip kicked her face.

It was like trying to fight those inflatable balloon men, except they knew martial arts and you were drunk on a Tuesday night.

The woman bent down to kick at her legs, throwing Jessica onto the floor. Her back slammed against a tree root and Jessica felt herself arch from the pain. Her vision was spotting up, and she bit down on her tongue so hard that blood dribbled out.

“Once I get up, I’m going to shove that sword down your throat.” Jessica gritted out, feeling petty enough to spit blood onto the woman’s boots.

The assassin watched Jessica, her head tilting in confusion.

Then, a tiny smirk crept up on her face, her eyes glinting with a promise. She hoisted her sword up above her shoulders, aiming right at Jessica's head.

But then, before she could bring the sword down, something bowled into her, knocking her to the ground.

Jessica grunted as she heard more fighting, her fist grabbing the roots of the lawn as she crawled up to her knees. Raising her head, Jessica watched as the woman fought with some stranger.

A stranger wearing a brown suit with a purple curtain tied onto his face.

At first, Jessica thought she had a concussion. There was no way she was watching a man fight someone who was using a sword with only his fists.

Even with the curtain obscuring his vision, they were both equal in skill. The assassin twisted around the man, while he flipped over her. He even punched her hard enough to make her drop the sword.

But then, the man's nostrils flared and he whispered out a word that was too soft for Jessica to hear.

Whatever caught the man's attention didn't phase the assassin, because she twirled around to kick the guy in the chest, sending him flying.

Flying straight into Jessica.

Jessica huffed as the man crashed into her. The impact threw her back, but she dug her leather boots into the dirt, sticking her to place.

She caught him in her arms, but Jessica wasn't that charitable. So she brought her arms out, letting him slide out on the ground.

Jessica bent down with her hands resting on her knees. She tried catching her breath, only for it to leave her completely when she heard Trish scream.

The assassin had gotten up and recovered her sword, heading towards Trish and the couple.

As she took long strides, her arm rising to launch it, Jessica found her strength and ran hard, tackling her down.

But as Jessica fell onto the ground, she heard the sharp whistling of a sword hurling through the air.

And the heart-breaking squish as it punctured flesh and bone, erupting the body in a fountain of blood.

"NO!" The vigilante yelled, rushing over to where Trish was.

Trish was tearing her shirt apart, trying to wipe off blood with the strips of fabric she cut. The streetfighter tried to block the wound with his hands, but blood still leaked from the spaces of his fingers. It sputtered out from her lips, and her eyes glazed over as death snatched her from this world.

And Mr. Donovan cried, misery and sadness consuming him as he watched his wife died, taking a sword meant for him.

Jessica gritted, swore curses under her breath to distract from the despair she felt.

Another person she failed to protect.

Anger swelled up in her, and she tried to grab the woman underneath her.

But the killer was too swift, rolling away from Jessica and jumping to her feet.

Jessica glared at her enemy, hatred boiling from the lack of remorse in the woman's eyes.

"Elektra, how could you . . ." The vigilante uttered.

For a second, the assassin's eyes widened and specks of light danced through her pupils.

But Jessica was in so much pain that she didn't care what was going on.

All she wanted was this murderer to hurt. Bad.

She jumped up and ripped a branch from a nearby tree, swinging it right at the killer.

It hit head-on and the woman flew over the hill, disappearing from Jessica's line of sight.

As Jessica and the vigilante raced down the slope, they looked around to find the woman.

But there was no trace of her, only a short pudgy lawyer waiting down the hill.

"Ma- err - Daredevil, I think Elektra just stole our taxi. You know, the Elektra that died six months ago Elektra." He pointed towards the car that was now driving off into the distance.

"Damn!" The masked man yelled, kicking the rocks on the road.

Jessica sighed, already feeling a headache coming on. She turned to the lawyer to ask him some questions, but as soon as he caught her eye, he flinched and turned around.

"Don't look at me!" He warned.

Jessica rolled her eyes and ambled up the hill instead to face the aftermath of the fight.

When she reached the lawn, Mr. Donovan was clasping his wife's hand, with Trish comforting him.

"She was everything to me ..." He wailed.

"Jess, what are we going to do? How will we explain this to the authorities?" Trish asked, her voice low as she wept tears off from her eyes.

Jessica was about to answer when a loud yelp caused her to pause. She turned around to see the lawyer gasping as he looked at everything.

"Shit! That's a dead body over there. A dead body. Fuck, this is bad. A murder happened here. We’re all going to jail!" He panicked.

"Foggy, calm down. That won’t happen since we didn't kill her in the first place." The vigilante reasoned.

As the lawyer— Foggy— opened his mouth again, Jessica felt the urge to shut it.

"What are you two doing here anyway?" Jessica asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

"We thought that there might be trouble, so we came, just in case." The vigilante said, not missing a beat.

"So you were spying on me."

"We took preemptive action to avoid any able body from breaking the law."

But the lawyer puffed up at the vigilante’s words. "Don't say we. I was doing the preemptive actions. You were the one rushing in—"

"I don't give a fuck whose idea it was. Both of you—"

"Hey, guys!" Trish interrupted, "As much as I would like to finish this conversation, we need to take him to a hospital."

Trish gestured at Mr. Donovan, as his face turned ash-colored and his arm still had a sword through it.

"What the hell would we tell the hospital? They’ll call the police the second we step inside." Foggy ran his fingers through blond hair, his face getting blotchier with sweat.

"We don't have any choice. We can't let him die." Trish reasoned.

"I know somewhere we can take him." The vigilante said, "But we have to start going now if we want to reach there in time."

"No way. How stupid do you think I am to follow some weirdo dressed up with a curtain?" Jessica protested.

"Jess, if you get thrown in jail, then you can't solve the case," Trish said.

"I don't like it either.” The vigilante adjusted his tie. “But we need that man and no hospital will accept him without asking questions. I know I'm asking a lot right now, but you have to trust me."

"Trust you?!" Jessica yelled, the very idea filling her with disgust. "I trust you as far as I can throw you."

"Then trust me." Trish grabbed Jessica's shoulder, turning her so they can meet eye-to-eye. "We can't stay here like this and there's no way we're abandoning him."

Jessica looked over her shoulder, shirt stained by the blood painting Trish's fingers. Trish shouldn't be here, she should be relaxing at home or working in her office. Jessica was willing to leave the man to rot with his wife on this damned hill but like it or not, she was a private investigator. She needed answers.

Besides, the faster she finishes this case, the faster she can get Trish out of here. She hated that stare of expectations Trish gave her like she has to save the world or something.

Instead of responding, she shrugged Trish's hands off, walked towards Mr. Donovan and grabbed his arm.

The man screamed in pain but Jessica had no sympathy. She threw him into the car, her pace unchanging as she went into the front seat.

Trish cringed from the use of force. "Couldn't you be softer?" She muttered.

Jessica scowled through the window.

As Trish shuffled into her car, she grumbled complaints under her breath. Turning around, she peeked at the new set of passengers.

Jessica was brooding in the front seat, displeased from the turn of events.

Mr. Donovan was crying, his clothes messy with blood as his voice coarse as he sobbed in pain.

Foggy was adjusting his collar every few seconds, trying to avoid the injured man.

The vigilante was still, not moving an inch in the tension. If he was feeling anything, Trish couldn’t tell from the curtain covering the upper part of his face.

This was going to be worse than the car ride to the hospital when Jessica broke her mother's jaw.

"Okay then, tell me when I get close," Trish said as she turned the car on, already dreading the trip.

 

* * *

 

Danny zipped up his green hoodie, pausing for a few moments to stare at his gloved hands.

This was it; he was finally doing something to stop the Hand in their tracks.

Right beside him, Colleen was strapping up her scabbard on top of her grey jacket.

She hadn't spoken to him all day.

"Colleen. Come on, Colleen." He whispered, but the plea fell on deaf ears as Colleen ran through the alley without passing a glance at him.

He followed her through the shady streets, the empty and abandoned apartments cursing the night.

He watched her climbed up the iron gates, landing into the other side in a quick roll before running off. As Danny ran and cleared the fence in one smooth jump, Colleen was already a block away from him.

Getting frustrated, he picked up the pace, running hard until he caught up to Colleen and grabbed her shoulder.

"Why are you acting like this? Are you mad at me?" He asked.

"Danny, right now we're in a stealth mission. I can't afford having you call out my name and giving out our positions, okay?! Yes, I'm mad at you but we can deal with it later." She spoke fast, her words deadly quiet as she grabbed his hand and led it away from her shoulder.

Before Danny could reply, she had already ran into another alley, the last one leading up to the warehouse they were supposed to be scoping out.

He shook his head, annoyed at Colleen's deflecting but followed her lead again.

She was right about focusing on the mission.

But wasn't it bad to leave loose ends before doing something as dangerous as this?

He crepted through the alleyway, his shadow mingling with the transcendent shapes on the walls. Each step he took was slow and heavy, as if melted iron was leaking from his shoes. 

"Colleen? Colleen? Where are you?" Danny whispered into the cold air.

He treaded softly, making sure that even his breathing was muted.

But something grabbed his arm and pulled him down...

Right into Colleen's determined face.

"Colleen? What the hell?"

"Ssh! Danny. Look!" Colleen pointed towards the warehouse, the door creaking as hooded figures stormed out from the building. 

"According to the New York's public records, this warehouse has been abandoned since 1997. This has to be the Hand."Colleen whispered, pulling out her phone to take pictures.

Danny didn't follow suit. Instead, he watched the henchmen haul around containers, liquid swishing around the metal hulls as the soles of metal boots slammed against concrete ground. 

He stared at these men, working for the organization that killed without remorse, that spilled blood for their own selfish purposes, that manipulated every single person they came across.

For a second, all Danny could do was stare.

But then Colleen found the perfect angle and took a picture.

click.

Blood melting the snow. Bloody bodies. Bloodied clothes.

click.

The world is shaking. His Walkman is still playing and it's all cold of a sudden and mom just flew out the airplane—

click.

He is—was— K'un-Lun's weapon and he will destroy the Hand.

click.

And Danny was off.

He threw a punch at one of the men, their body crumpling like paper.

Brows furrowed, teeth clenched, and veins filled with the anger of a civilization invading calloused skin, the Iron Fist unleashed his wrath.

"Danny! Wait!" Colleen ran out from the alley but Danny had already disappeared into the warehouse.

Colleen ran into the building, immediately bending down to avoid a kick.

She spun around, her eyes focusing on the group of cloaked men wielding knives.

Withdrawing her katana, she fought off the trio, her anxieties rising as she heard the screams coming from Danny's side.

Cheap steel folded against quality iron, the knives flying out of their hands. Before they knew it, the butt of the sword crashed into their skulls, knocking them out.

Colleen lowered her sword, scanning for Danny. Black eyes caught onto the blond curls, and Colleen couldn't stop the gasp escaping her lips. 

"What happened to just scoping the warehouse out?! This isn't what we planned, Danny!" Colleen screamed out, her arms stretching out to the bodies lying around the warehouse.

Danny tried to wipe the blood sprayed on his cheeks but it smudged instead. "The Hand has to die and I'm the only one that can do it!" His voice cut through the groans of the grunts, blue eyes alight with a poisonous fire.

Suddenly, the door opened to a man dressed in black, his eyes widened as he looked onto the carnage.

Backing off slowly, his steps quickened as he turned tail and ran.

And before Colleen could blink, Danny was out the door,

He bolted out from the warehouse, chasing the henchman down. The grunt tripped on the rough pavement, but before he could fall down flailing, Danny grabbed him and slammed his back against the wall in a choke hold.

"What is the Hand planning to do? What war are you bringing to New York?" Danny clenched his hand, fingers squeezing against the muscles of his foe's throat. His mouth was wide open, spluttering as he scratched Danny's hand in desperation.

"Danny!" He heard Colleen's scream, before a fist knocked him down. 

His head was pounding, and he's seeing double. Before he could recover, a foot slammed into his stomach, rolling him across the street.

Luke watched as the guy coughed in pain, cradling his abdomen.

"I don't usually kick a man when he's down but..." Luke turned around to see the boy he was following rubbing the marks on his neck.

". . . Thanks . . . " Bobby puffed out. When he started to get up, Luke pushed him back down to the ground.

"You need to catch a breath, it's not everyday you get choked out." Luke reasoned.

But the boy still tried to get up, his legs shaking as he rose. "My sis . . . I gotta get her out of here." 

Luke's eyes widened as he stared at the boy at shock. "Your sis is in there?"

A bitter cough left Bobby's lips. "This her night job." 

Before Luke could respond, he heard someone screaming and quickening footsteps. 

"Watch out!" Luke pushed Bobby out of the way, raising his arm to block Colleen's katana.

Colleen gaped as Luke struggled against her sword, not an inch of the steel penetrating his skin.

Taking advantage of her confusion, he pushed her off, causing her to fall down.

"Colleen! How dare you!" Danny's temper flared, as he gathered chi into his fist. Glaring hard at Luke, he shot up from the ground and winded his arm back to hit Luke.

Luke didn't bother to move, not noticing the glow of the fist. 

The chi of a dragon collided with Luke's skin. Brown skin tough as nails rippled like aluminum. Every action has an opposite and equal reaction, and this one came in the form of a powerful shockwave. 

Danny and Colleen flew off, hitting the wall of the warehouse. The impact knocked the wind out of both of them , and they slumped down.

Luke flew off in the opposite direction, his head colliding with the concrete. Almost immediately, he blacked out.

Bobby stumbled from the pressure, but was far apart that it didn't hit him hard enough. As he rose up to see everyone unconscious, and heard the loud police sirens, he dashed away from the street, running around the warehouse.

As he whipped around the corner, he bumped into something hard and fumbled, almost falling down.

”Bobby... what you doing here?! This shit's a war zone, we need to go!” He stood up to see his sister standing above him.

With one hand covering her eye.

”Your eye ... what happe—“

”No time! The cops are here and we can’t go down for this.” She grabbed his arm and let him lead the way out from the alley. 

"Why?! Why you doing this? I would have helped out, Tamia."

"Shut up! You think I'll let you die like those other boys trying to provide for their family? Better me than you."

As they stumbled out from the streets, a bright light startled them from their escape.

”Freeze! Hands up where I can see them!” A voice boomed out.

Bobby rose his arms on instinct but his sister wasn’t strong enough to support her own weight, leading her to collapse onto the ground.

”Don’t shoot! My sister is injured!” The boy called out.

Loud footsteps approached them and the girl raised her head in pain to glimpse at the face of Detective Misty Knight.

“We need to take you to the EMTs, can you walk?” Misty asked as she examined the huge slash that was supposed to be the girl’s eye.

Before she can respond, the ground shook as parts of the warehouse started to collapse, flames and smoke rising to lick at the building.

”Ma’am, you need to help Luke! He’s still in there!” The guy shouted over the rumble of debris falling.

”Luke?! You mean Luke Cage?!” Misty ran out to the warehouse, not bothering to wait for the boy’s response.

After all, there was only one Luke that he could be referring to.

”Damn it, Luke! You better not die on me ...” Misty grumbled as she jumped over the fallen wood planks, narrowly avoiding getting burnt.

As she got closer to the center of the warehouse, she could feel the heat clinging to her body, almost suffocating her. 

This was probably one of the most reckless shit she have ever pulled, running into a burning building without any form of protection. She might be even more vulnerable than Luke like this.

But still, Luke was one of her closest friends and she wasn’t going to let him burn.

Misty ducked down to breathe in fresh air, only to flinch in shock when she realized the rubble that she thought she was kicking was actually an unconscious Luke.

”Hey! Wake up, Luke!” She shook him around, exhaling when she heard him grumbling.

”Where... where... is he?” Luke muttered, stumbling as he rose up.

But Misty pulled his arm, guiding him towards the open street.

”Come on, Luke. I have enough to do without hauling your stupid ass. What were you even doing here?” Misty huffed, struggling to support him.

As Luke tried to shake off the fog in his head, he noticed someone in a black cloak helping the guy and woman he was facing off with.

He almost turned to face them, but he took in a huge gulp of smoke, making him to cough and choke with tears in his eyes.

”Luke! Let’s go!” Misty coughed out, covering her face with one arm and holding Luke out with another.

Colleen watched as the big guy followed the police officer away from the scene.

”Thank you for helping us, but what’s going on? I thought there were only Hand henchmen in here.” Colleen looked around, wondering how it quickly went to shit.

She looked to her left to see Danny still out cold, with her and the lady being the only thing supporting his weight.

The lady in the black cloak darted her eyes, scanning through the destroyed building to find a way out.

“We decided to let the Iron Fist go ahead in the mission and follow him later on to crush the Hand, but it looks like they were expecting us all along. We were the ones ambushed. Let’s go over there, the exit is close.” The woman spoke in hushed tones, guiding Danny and Colleen off to the door.

Before they could reach it, Colleen heard something whistle in the air and pushed against the woman, dragging herself and Danny down to the floor to avoid the sword thrown at them.

Colleen looked up to see the weapon embedded in the wooden door, then turned her head to check out the owner.

It was the same assassin who had been killing the Chaste soldiers in Cambodia, wielding another sword that she pointed at them.

Before Colleen could bring out her katana, the lady in the black cloak rose, withdrawing her own dagger.

”Take the Iron Fist and leave at once. I’ll hold her off.” She got into position, her eyes staying on her foe.

”You can’t! She’s too strong, she’ll kill you!” Colleen yelled, trying to wake Danny up.

But he was out cold, not even stirring as the woman in red came closer to them.

But their companion was not stirred, giving Colleen a small smile. 

“I’ll gladly put my life on the line knowing it saved the Iron Fist. Now go!” 

She rushed at the assassin, her dagger aimed at the woman’s vital spots.

Colleen granted herself one last look at her savior before hoisting Danny up and staggering out from the warehouse.

She didn’t look back, even when she heard the warehouse collapsing and screams echoing out in the air.

She didn’t look back, even when the stench of burnt flesh poisoned her nostrils and stung her eyes.

And only when she stumbled into an alleyway and fell with Danny’s body right beside her, did she finally look back.

As Danny finally woke, he rolled around in pain to find himself in some dark alleyway with Colleen covered in soot and dirt.

”Colleen, what’s going on? What happened?” He sat up, his hand finding its way into her shoulder.

When she turned around, her eyes were wet with tears and despair.

Her voice was cracked and broken.

”We were too weak.”

 

* * *

 

"So, how bad is it?" Claire leaned against a wooden chair, her hand massaging her temple.

"A building got firebombed in New York and you wanna ask me how bad it is?" Misty countered, clutching the beer bottle Claire brought out.

Claire sighed, her voice echoing in the living room but still not making a dent in the tension in the air. A few hours ago, she closed the window shutters to hide from peering neighbors. But if she strained her ears hard enough, she could still hear her neighbors gasping and crying. 

It was like she was back at Hell's Kitchen.

On the other side of the room, Luke paced around in a corner, his eyes squinting as he pinched the space between his brows every few seconds. 

Misty had brought him in, her muscles straining to support Luke. 

Since then, he had been walking in that same area, muttering words and clenching his fist.

"I failed them. Damn it, I failed them . . ." He had yelled when Claire had asked how he was feeling.

"So, is the FBI on it?" She sipped on her beer, careful to measure how much she was drinking.

 Somehow, she had the feeling that she would need to be sober tonight.

"No! That's just it, Claire! The FBI said it wasn't their territory. New York got bombed and the FBI couldn't give a damn?! And then, the DA and the mayor forced us to stop looking into the case. They're covering it up as a construction accident. Everyone that was there is getting arrested for gang activity. Hell, I already saw some of the officers writing their confessions for them. None of the actual culprits are being caught!" Misty ranted, her boots stomping on the wooden panels.

"Everyone?" Luke uttered, his first word that wasn't repeated over and over again.

"Everyone except you." Misty pointed her index finger at him, but the jab was much sharper.

"Hey, Luke is having a hard enough time right now without you adding onto it." Claire's eyes narrowed, her arms crossing over her chest.

In response, Misty rested her hands on her hips. "You can't say I'm wrong. While he's there lumbering around, innocent people are being sent to jail."

But as Claire was about to retort, Luke stood up straight. He turned away from the ashes covering his shoes but to the tenacity saturating Misty's eyes.

"You're right. I can't stand here doing nothing while the rest of Harlem goes to hell. " Luke spoke, his head up high and shoulders as straight as a soldier.

But Claire slumped further into her chair, a groan leaving her lips.

She had hoped that once Luke got over his breakdown, he wouldn't jump straight into action. Taking on this duty of saving people was a heavy burden. Thinking about it, she wasn't sure Luke ever dealt with the grief of Pops' murder. The man was like a father to him, and his death pushed Luke to become a hero. But Luke was running into the fold thinking that he had to have justice. Now, it looked like Luke was trying to save everybody.

It wasn't possible, and she hoped that the warehouse fire made it clear to him. He needed to sit down and think about the stress of being a hero had on him. In her wildest dreams, he would even put up the hoodie altogether.

She should have known she's not lucky enough for that to happen.

Without warning, Misty's radio buzzed in, the voice frazzled and frantic.

Misty grunted, one hand grabbing her jacket, while the other grabbed the doorknob. "Sounds like trouble. Stay safe, Claire. And make sure it happens, Luke."

"Thank you but I can protect myself!" Claire yelled out as Misty drove out in her police car.

Claire closed the door, her lips curling as she saw the smile dancing on Luke's lips.

"What are you laughing at?" She challenged. 

Luke rose his hands up, light sparkling in his eyes as he said "Nothing, nothing at all."

But before Claire could get on him, someone knocked at the door.

"Did Misty forget something?" Luke asked.

Claire shrugged and opened the door.

And right in front of her were Colleen and Danny, dirty and injured as they both supported an old, bleeding man.

"Claire, you need to help us. Please," Danny begged.

"What? Shit-just come in. Quick!" Claire ushered them inside, watching for any nosy neighbors. 

She peeked her head out of the door, but the halls were empty and everyone else was hiding in their apartments.

As Claire closed the door, she realized the living room was way too quiet with the number of people.

She turned around to check out the scene but then, Luke grabbed her arm and pulled her over to his side.

"Luke, what's going on?" Claire yelled.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Luke's voice dripped with malice, animosity coated every single word he spat out at Danny.

"Claire! Damn it- the Hand is everywhere!" Danny groaned as he ran shaky fingers into his hair.

"What!? The Hand? You think—"

"Get out of here, Claire. I'll handle this." Luke sauntered over to Danny, teeth clenched and eyes narrowed like a lion ready to pounce.

Danny didn't hesitate to retaliate, his lips thinned to a line of fury, as he shifted into a fighting stance.

"Yeah, let's finish up what we started." Danny sneered as he threw the first punch as Luke's chest. It was like punching steel, and Luke stared down at him, unimpressed.

"Danny, that doesn't work on him!" Colleen snatched Danny backward, separating him and Luke. "His skin is like steel." 

"Colleen, can you tell them to knock it off?! They shouldn't be fighting!" Claire yelled as Danny and Luke prepared to face off again.

Claire's words froze Colleen, her eyes narrowing as she processed it.  
   
At that moment, her grip loosened and Danny shrugged it off. As he stared down at Luke, he clenched his fist until it emitted that yellow glow.

His face twisted in rage and he bolted across the room, his elbow drawn back as he aimed the fist at Luke's face.

"Danny, stop!" Colleen shouted out.

But their momentum was too fast and their anger was too hot for them to stop. A golden light that spelled nothing but doom bathed the room.

And with nothing else she could do, Claire screamed.

Then, like an angel arriving from heaven to save the accursed, Matt kicked the door open. Jessica ran inside, hurling a phone right at Danny.

It flew through the air like a bullet, and slammed Danny in the head, knocking him out of his trajectory.

"Are you alright, Claire?!" Matt's head swiveled around, his ears scanning the room for potential threats.

"We heard screaming and thought it would be better to fight first, ask questions later." Jessica explained. As she scanned the room for any other dangers, her eyes popped out of her head when she noticed the man frozen mid-run.

"Luke?!"

"Jessica?!"

"Jess, why are we stuck carrying Mr. Donovan if you're the one with the super-strength?" Trish called out from the hallway, as she and Foggy carried the scientist into the apartment.

"You know what? I'm having a long day and can I get my phone back?" Foggy complained.

Claire paused, looking at the spectacle forming in her apartment. 

Danny laid on the floor unconscious as Colleen tried to help him out. Matt whipped his head around the room back and forth, dressed up in a suit with a curtain covering his head. Jessica was widening her eyes and pointing at Luke, who looked just as confused.

"Okay-That's it! If all y'all are going to be here, then I don't want any more fighting!" Claire yelled out.

Everyone turned towards Danny, still knocked up as Colleen was dragging him to the couch.

"It-it won't be a problem for us." Colleen gestured with one towards Danny, her cheeks turning a bit red.

"Good. Anyone with life-threatening emergencies? Go to the right side of the room on the couch. If you're scratched up, go to the left side with the armchairs. If you're here for the hell of it, sit on the chairs in the kitchen." Claire commanded.

"We have our guy over here." Jessica pointed over to Mr. Donovan, who was struggling to lift up his head.

"Luke, help carry him to the couch. Colleen, what about your guy?"  
Claire turned around.

Yet, instead of the decrepit elder that looked like he had one foot in the grave, she saw an old man resting on the couch.

"I won't need any help," He said as he opened a beer bottle. "While you guys were having your little squabble, I decided to heal myself up." The man tossed his head up, the drink disappearing down his throat.

Matt inhaled, tilting his head before a look of rage appeared as he gritted his teeth. "Stick?! What are you doing here?"

But Claire pushed him away, steering him towards the kitchen. "Not today, Daredevil. I'm not having you beat up people in my apartment, with words or fists. Go to the kitchen."

Matt sniffed the air, brows furrowed under the curtain, before stalking off to the kitchen.

Claire looked at everyone and huffed, shaking her head as she went to treat her newest patient.

Meanwhile, Jessica plodded over to Colleen as Colleen held up the now broken phone.

"Thanks for stopping him. Sorry about your phone." Colleen apologized.

Jessica took the phone and shrugged, her face calm. "Don't say sorry to me. It's not mine. But you're welcome, always happy to beat up assholes." Jessica threw the phone back to Foggy and his hands almost slipped trying to catch it. Yet, he shot her a glare when he noticed the cracks on the screen.

Jessica glared right back, but she swiveled around when she heard Colleen muttering.

"He's not an asshole . . . It's a bad day for everyone."

Jessica snorted, walking off to the kitchen in response. "You're damn right about that."

She slumped down on a seat, her fingers itching for some whiskey to hold. Trish sat right next to her, the suit she wore to work now smeared with blood.

With nothing else to do, Jessica hunched over the table, calculating her next moves. Then, without notice, Trish shot up in her seat and slammed her hand on the table.

"Jess, we got put in timeout." Trish whispered, like a light bulb was shining over her head.

Jessica stared at Trish for a few seconds, her eyes narrowing and mouth open, an insult forming on her lips. But then, she shook her head and pulled out her phone instead.

"Yup."

A few minutes later, Luke trudged into the kitchen with four beer bottles: two for Jessica and one for Trish.

"Oh, thanks but I'm not feeling up to it." Trish waved her hand.

But Jessica grabbed the extra bottle from Luke instead, a finger flick knocking the cap off.

"I'll take her share. Looks like you're in the doghouse too." Jessica said before tilting the bottle backward.

Luke sighed, his shoulders slumped as he opened his beer.

"She said I was being aggressive and treating her like she's fragile. I don't do that, do I?" 

"That sounds like something Jess would do to me, so yeah," Trish said, prompting a glare from Jessica.

Luke sighed, taking a long gulp from his drink. "I can't help it. I don't know what would have happened if you or Daredevil hadn't shown up. How did that happen anyway?"

"That's a long story and there's not enough alcohol in the world to tell it." Jessica dropped her now empty beer bottle on the table and started with the second one.

"Say, Luke- Luke, right- you know, I do a radio show called Trish Talk, and I was wonder—"

Jessica nudged Luke's shoulder, the impact almost sweeping him off his seat. "Take that as your cue to leave."

"Hey, be nice!"

Luke waved her off and walked over to the fridge. "Maybe some other day. I should check out Daredevil over there." Luke said as he took out another beer.

Trish snorted in response and Jessica swallowed the rest of her second beer down in a gulp.

As Luke shuffled over to the other corner of the kitchen, he heard Daredevil bickering with the lawyer that showed up with him.

But before Luke could say a word, the vigilante stopped talking and twisted in his direction.

"Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to say thanks, man. You came right on time." Luke rose his hands up only for him to drop them down when he remembered that Daredevil is a blind vigilante.

"Don't bother, he already knows you're raising your hands. Hell, he probably knows what you ate for lunch today!" Foggy shouted at Daredevil, staring daggers at the vigilante. But the other man sat still, with only the slightest nod of his head giving any sign that he was listening.

The tension in the air thickened as the vigilante kept quiet.

And then "Can you really?"

He turned towards Luke, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air.   
"Mashed potatoes covered in gravy. Turkey gravy, right?" He answered.

"Sweet Christmas . . ." Luke almost dropped his beer bottle.

"Hey, is that for us?" Foggy asked, pointing to the bottles Luke was holding. When Luke nodded, Foggy grabbed the bottles out of his hand, his fingers shaking as he opened the bottle.

"Thanks. I needed this, especially with the long day I had." Foggy rambled before taking a long swig.

Luke's eyes widened as he watched Foggy drink the bottle down, with no hints of stopping.

"Uhh-is your friend . . ."

"Foggy." Daredevil supplemented.

"Yeah, is he going to be alright? He's almost drinking that as fast as Jessica, and Jessica is— well, she's Jessica."

"He's going to be fine—"

A large breath, followed by an even larger gulp. "No, I won't."  
Daredevil smiled so hard his lips thinned out. "Can you give us a minute?"

"Of course, All I wanted to say was thanks." Luke stepped away, and Foggy was free to give Matt the middle finger without question.

"This is why I told you not to come with me." Matt whispers, his voice quiet but sharp in a way that cuts through all of Foggy's (measly) defenses.

Foggy looks across the kitchen and watches Jessica drink a fourth bottle as Trish scolds her. They pushed their seats close together, and their shoulders bump every few seconds. Even with the harsh remarks Jessica spits out, he can still see the smile she hides underneath her hand. 

Not for the first time, Foggy wonders if this was always how the end of their friendship looked.

"I'm still angry at you. I mean, I can't believe I didn't realize it until now." His voice is high-pitched, squeaky with a hint of delirium. "We have been best friends for years! Why couldn't you trust me? Why did you have to lie?"

Foggy hears Matt clenches his teeth, as if he's biting his tongue to withhold the Murdock venom he's known for. "Because I knew you would never accept this part of me!" His voice breaks at the last part, and Foggy starts to think that this was painful for Matt too.

"So, what now? I'm angry, you're angry-what? Do we go back to ignoring each other—"

"Why are you here, Foggy?" Matt's bows his head down, his hands and that damn curtain obscuring his face. He can't tell what Matt's thinking, not like he can ever tell, but right now he needs to. Right now that whatever farce of their friendship is hanging by a thread and Matt is still bending his head like a martyred saint.

"I don't know. I-I don't know." Is all Foggy can say.

But then, they don't have to say anything else because Claire walked into the kitchen door. Black bags were hanging underneath her eyes. Her shoulders slouched like there was a 50-ton weight tied to her back. But her tired face held a content smile.

"He's going to be alright. The sword missed any major arteries and it was a somewhat clean cut." Claire summarized, going to the sink to wash blood off her hands.

"Is he conscious? Never mind, I'll go see myself." Jessica said as she stood up from the chair she was sitting on.

Mr. Donovan was lying on the couch, his face paler than normal but he looked like he could still talk so Jessica didn't care.

"Okay, dickhead. I don't give a fuck whether you drop dead tomorrow or spend the rest of your shitty life grieving, but tonight? You're explaining everything that's happened. Now." Jessica's hand reached for his throat but Claire's warning glare stopped her from coming closer.

"I told you all I can! The Hand will kill me if I say anymore!" Mr. Donovan wailed.

"Wait, hold up! Did he say the Hand? The 'evil ninjas' Hand?" Claire interrupted.

"You know these guys?" Trish asked.

"Okay, we need to leave now!" Claire shot up, ran shaky hands through her hair, already running to pack her stuff.

But Luke stopped her path, grabbing her shoulders. "Claire, what's wrong? What's the Hand?"

"The Hand is an evil cult full of trained warriors dedicated to taking over the world." A voice offered.

Everyone turned their heads to look at Colleen, who was staring them down.

"Or at least that's what the minions say. No one would know what the guys in charge want unless they were a part of them. But what matters is getting as much information we can get on the Hand." Colleen explained.

"And why should we hand it over to you? I'm only here to finish a case." Jessica crossed her arms against her chest, her brows wrinkling in annoyance.

But Claire protested. "Despite what happened tonight, Danny is a legitimate fighter. He's dedicated his whole life to defeating the Hand. If we all worked together—"

"I only work alone, Claire. You know this." Daredevil broke her off immediately, his words short and staunch.

A groan from the couch caught everyone's attention, especially Colleen's.

”Guys, not to interrupt but Danny might be waking up right now.” Colleen ran over to where the billionaire was currently lying down.

"Give me a second and I'll fix that." Jessica cracked her knuckles as she stomped over to the couch.

"No! I'll take him outside and catch him up on stuff. You guys can keep talking." Colleen said, as she grabbed Danny's arm and dragged him out of the apartment.   
As the door slammed shut, the apartment was silent before a sharp sigh cut through the tension.

Foggy clasped his hands over his head, his brows creasing as he looked towards Daredevil.

"None of this vigilante stuff is a good idea but even I know you need help. I've seen punching bags take fewer hits than you! Are you sure the city only has you to protect it or are you too good to play team-up?"

"That's not how it is and you know it." Daredevil shot back.

"I'm sorry but . . ." Luke cut in, "this all seems like some bullshit to me. Ninjas, cults? I don't know . . ." He shook his head.

"My wife lying dead on my lawn would disagree with you." Mr. Donovan spat out.

Luke's mouth hung open but Jessica snorted and scowled at the injured man.

"Don't act like you didn't play a part in it. You worked for the organization that killed her."

"If it weren't for you two, we would have been long gone! You're the reason my wife died!"

Trish's face reddened as she glared at him. "Don't put that on us! You were a coward, too scared to do the right thing. The moment you knew that something bad was happening, you should have gone straight to the police."

"Blah, blah, blah. All I hear are a bunch of whiners that are too busy thinking about their own problems to look at the big picture." Stick's voice boomed over the rest, halting all other arguments to a stand-still.

"Anything that comes from you is bad news. How the hell did you end up here anyway? Are you trailing me?!" Daredevil demanded.

Stick sighed, massaging his temples. "Not everything is about you. When I heard the Chaste was being attacked, I headed down to the hideout as first as I can. Unfortunately, the Hand wiped out most of our forces with the invasion and the fire in the warehouse. While I was searching for survivors, I found the Iron Fist and he led me here." 

"Wait, are you saying these 'Hand' guys are behind the warehouse fire?" Luke asked.

"Yep. In fact, the Hand has hurt everyone in this room." Stick pushed himself off the couch, his hands folded behind his back as he paced around the room. "If we all combined forces to fight the Hand, we can end this millennium-long war."

"There you go again, with your made-up war!" Daredevil yelled. "Listen up, everyone! No matter what you decide, don't listen to him. He is an old, egotistical, cold-hearted liar that manipulates everyone he's around!"

Stick tilted his head towards Daredevil, his mouth moving but no words forming.

But when his lips finally loosened, he uttered: "How long did it take you to think up that?" 

"20 years." Daredevil sniffed, his mouth set in a tight line. 

"Yeah, not to ruin whatever moment this is, but I don't do wars. Count me out." Jessica crossed her arms, adamant.

Swarms of voices floated around as more and more people dissented.

But then the door flung open, and Danny ran in, his hair tussled and face warm and clammy with sweat.

"We have to fight together!" He yelled, the veins in his face spraining from the conviction in his words.

"I know I'm not your favorite person here. I understand, I let my anger cloud my judgment and I'm sorry I did that. And yeah, all of these issues might be little things that we can fight by ourselves. But with the Hand, it'll never stop. People will suffer from their brutality, neighborhoods will fall under their tyranny, and governments will rot with their manipulations. The Hand will take over New York and we're the only ones who can stop it."

Danny's eyes hardened as he stared at the fighters he chose: Luke, Daredevil, Jessica.

Luke rubbed the back of his neck. "You're right: you're not my favorite person here. But people have been recruiting kids in Harlem and dumping them in jail afterward. If this "Hand" is behind that, then I'm willing to do anything to bring them down, even team up."

"A few months ago, I thought I had defeated the Hand. I lost almost everything to do that, and now, they're back and stronger than ever. I couldn't . . . I had someone ... The last time I had someone helping me, I lost them. If we're going to do this, we can't lose anyone." Daredevil said as he straightened his stance.

" . . . Yeah, I can't do this."

All eyes went on Jessica as she started to pack up her bag.

"What? Jess, this is what we came to do: to save the city." Trish said.

"No, I came here to finish a job. My client is dead, everyone in this room is crazy, and I still need to clean up the shit in my apartment." Jessica pushed through the crowd of people, heading towards the door instead.

"Jessica!" Luke yelled, pausing her in her steps.

But Jessica didn't turn her eyes away from the door. "Don't say a word, Luke. Even if I believed this stuff, I'm not a hero."

”Would you shut up and sit back down!” Stick shouted. Five seconds later, a beer bottle collided at his head, glass and skin breaking at the momentum.

Stick fell down to the floor, holding his head in pain as he gritted his teeth to hold back his groans.

On the other side of the room, Jessica’s arm was still outstretched.

”You’re lucky I held back. The last man that tried to command me is in a morgue somewhere. Trish, we’re leaving this shitshow.”   
Jessica said as she put her hands back in her pockets.

”But—“

”Trish! Let’s go!” Jessica’s voice steeled, her face set in a stubborn frown.

Trish's lips thinned as her brows knitted up. This was the most exciting thing that has ever happened to her. She was meeting with other heroes, people that cared about what was going on and wanted to save the world. She wasn’t a passerby or a sidekick. She was right in the action, something she wanted for so long that she was more than a little upset at Jess’s attempt to pull her away from it.

But Trish looked back at that Stick guy, blood dripping down his forehead as he rubbed at his skull. Jess was angry, angrier than she usually was. She even brought up Kilgrave, a kind of taboo word that would only happen if something pushed her to the edge. 

Something was affecting Jess, more than this team-up, and if she wanted to find out, she had to be smart.

So with great reluctance, she dragged her feet away from one of the greatest opportunities in her life to stand with Jess instead.

”Wait! You think you can give me a ride too?” The pudgy lawyer that had ridden along with them piped up.

He took a long look back at Daredevil (The Daredevil!!!! She has to get an exclusive with him one of these days!) before turning his back, his face determined.

”I don’t want any part of this.” His words were curt and icy.

"Whatever, it isn't my gas. If they put you in a costume, make sure to send a picture, Luke."

Jessica walked out, with Trish and Foggy in tow. 

Foggy was happy to get away from a pending arrest waiting to happen. Yet, as he sat inside the car, something nagged at him. It was in the way he could feel the blood that stained the soft seats. It was in the window as Jessica leaned her head beside it. It was in the sharp turns Trish took as she bit her lips and kept quiet. 

It was the last glance he took as he walked out of the door and saw Matt's slack jaw.

But all things come to an end, as Trish pulled up to his apartment complex. 

"Well, this is it, Mr. Nelson. And so you know, if you ever want to tell anyone who the man under the mask is—"

"Give it a rest, Trish! We're leaving." Jessica said as she slumped down in the front seat, honking the car horn for extra measures.

With a sigh, Trish drove off, leaving the lawyer standing in front of his high-end apartment.

Foggy looked through the glass door, his reflection gleaming back.  
He saw a successful man, hair ruffled, face red and wet from the sweat. He saw a man dressed in a thousand-dollar suit with water stains from how long he spent trying to wipe the blood splatters out.

As he waited in the elevator, he leaned his head against the wall and puffed out cold air. The day has been so exhausting, he forgot he never went out for his lunch break. But it was over. No more vigilantes, no more acting above the law, no more lying and fighting.

No more Matt.

The thought shook him so hard that his keycard slipped from his fingers.

He picked it up, looked at the silver lining and glossy cover that adorned the golden logo.

He remembered the first time he had seen the building. It was late afternoon, with the sun shining in a gleam of warm rays. He had finished filing documents with Matt for that stupid internship. They were bone-tired, sick of corporate assholes, and the day was too beautiful for their moods.

”Here, Matt. There’s a skyscraper on your right. One of those fifteen-stories building that you can only get into if you’re a CEO or higher. One day, you and I will be up there, I promise you that. I quit the family butchering business for a reason!” He had said that to Matt, wiping sweat off his forehead and drying it on the hand-me-down suit he had gotten from his dad.

Foggy was in that building now, wearing the latest fashion labels with no one but his shadow by his side.

He trudged over to his work desk, the one he dedicated to special, super important cases.

There was a sticky note posted on his computer from Marci, she wasn’t coming home until early morning.

Foggy pulled out his phone, his eyes blinking at the cracks as he turned on the computer.

”Hi, this is Foggy Nelson. I know it’s late right now, but I need a request ready for pickup by tomorrow morning.” Foggy said as he pulled up articles of every act of vigilantism done in the past six months.

Matt was going to fuck up and get himself in some huge shit, that was a given.

But this time . . . this time, Foggy will help him clean it up.

 

* * *

 

Trish drove right, avoiding the cat racing across the street.

”Your turn was off a few inches if you wanted to murder that cat.” Jessica said as she watched the feline shriek at the car.

”It’s hard to see out in the dark! I thought it was a plastic bag or something.”

”Didn’t know plastic bags had four legs and could meow. Plus, isn’t the whole street lit up with lights?”

” . . . Whatever.” Trish shook her head, pulling up to the side.

As Jessica was about to open the car door handle, Trish wondered whether she should stop her.

For the past hour, Trish had to endure Jessica's insults, taunts, and derisive attitude. If she was a lesser person and not use to it, she would have shed a few tears by now. 

But Jessica's walls were sky-high, biting at anyone that dared to come close.

Trish had been planning to argue with her about it after the car ride, but she wasn't sure that was a good idea now.

Maybe Jess needed some time to process everything. She had been through a lot this past year and this case isn’t an exception. 

It would be cruel to both Jessica and the other vigilantes to try and get Jess to work together with them. Even if she succeeded, she doubted it would last a few minutes before someone got fed up and called the cops. If Jessica doesn't want to be a hero, that is her prerogative.

But that doesn't mean Trish that shared the same views. 

She still has the address from her GPS. Her car has enough gas. She's not working tomorrow, and even if she was, she wouldn't let in stand in the way of saving New York. Jessica wouldn't even know until it was already done.

If this was too much for her, Trish would be happy to take her place. Trish has been ready to save the world her whole life and she was not going to let something like inexperience stop her.

So, instead of calling Jessica back, she whispered a soft goodbye. She waved and Jessica scoffed, ignoring it. She readied her car as she watched Jess trudged out the car and dragged herself to her apartment.

Her fingers were already on the gas when she noticed Jessica chatting with a man sitting close to her apartment. 

And judging by how hard Jessica tightened her fist, it was not a good conversation.

Jessica wasn’t going to jail (again) on Trish’s watch, so she turned the car off and ran out to where Jessica was.

”Hey, Jess. Are you okay? Who’s this guy?” 

“This guy,” Jessica grabbed the collar of the man’s coat, lifting him up in the air. “ is a dickhead that I warned never to come near me again.”

”I don’t want to see you again either! The feeling’s mutual!!” He choked out.

”Jess, put him down! You’re going to get in trouble with the police.”

Jessica frowned, but dropped the man on his ass, her grimace growing as she watched him writhe in pain.

The man rubbed his behind, groaning. ”Why can’t you be fucking civil for one second?! Is this how you treat all your clients?” He complained.

”You’re not my client.” Jessica spat out.

”I am today. I already met with your assistant and he added my case to your list.”

”Malcolm isn’t my assistant, I fired him yesterday.” Jessica crossed her arms.

“But you fire him every day. Malcolm must have a good reason to take the case without asking you first.” Trish reasoned.

Jessica snorted. “What could you want to hire me for? To find a good lawyer?”

Somehow, this caused the man to sober up. He stood up from the steps, his head facing Jessica as he stared her down. 

”I need absolute assurance that after I say this, you won’t try and kill me.” 

”Spit it out. I’ll decide afterward.”

That must have been good enough for him because he dug into his pockets and pulled out his phone.

”Good, because I’m going to need your rage for someone else.” He brought his phone out, offering it to Jessica.

”Is there something I should be looking at?” Jessica took the phone with distaste, holding the phone up for Trish to see as well.

“It looks an empty school road to me . . . Wait, that’s—what?! Is this—“

”Yeah, it’s exactly what you think it is.” 

Jessica stared at the phone, eyes wide as her tightening grip curled the phone up in her hand.

”Naruto . . . was kidnapped.” 

The phone snapped in half.

 

* * *

 

17 Hours Before

 

* * *

 

Malcolm peeked his head through the hole in the wall, wondering how the hell he was going to fix it.

For one thing, the hole was half-filled with water, like some kind of weird mini-lake. Ramen pieces floated throughout the water, and he could smell the stench of the mold growing in there. It was a miracle the landlord hadn't kicked Jessica out yet. But then again, the fact that she was Jessica kinda explained it.

Either way, he might need more than a vacuum.

Without warning, there was a knock on the door and Malcolm jumped in surprise. It was after office hours, and whoever was behind the door would see the literal shithole Jessica had. Thinking fast, Malcolm dashed into the kitchen and grabbed a roll of paper towel. He tore some wads off and shoved them into the hole, covering it up. When he finished, the hole looked less like a tiny ecosystem and more like a trashcan. 

Lucky for him, that was still an improvement.

But then, someone knocked on the door again. It reminded Malcolm of his immediate problem: a potential client. Scrambling around, Malcolm tried to make the office look semi-presentable.

"I'll be right there!" He yelled as he wiped off the alcohol spilled on the desk. Stuffing the dirty rag he had used in his pocket, he dashed over to the door and unlocked it. Without a pause, he sprinted and slid over the desk, landing in Jessica's work chair.

Malcolm wiped the sweat off his face, and sat up, trying to look like he wasn't about to heave.

"Come in!" He huffed out, his voice cracking in the end.

The door opened and in walked a woman wearing a long brown trench coat. Her eyes were as dark as night, and she sauntered in like she owned the place. As she looked around the office, Malcolm happened to catch her eye. Her gaze was piercing, wielding authority like it was divine. She adjusted the collar of her coat, stared him down, and those obsidian eyes saw right through him. 

From the moment he locked eyes with her, Malcolm knew he was about to get the biggest mystery case in his career yet.

And when he blinked again, he noticed the kid and white guy trailing behind her.

Maybe he should lay off the detective books he has been reading.

"Hey, where's the private eye that works here? You know, the one that's a real bit—"

"HI! My name is Monica Rambeau and the 'nice' man beside me is Mr. Reynolds, and we're looking to hire Ms. Jones to find someone." Ms. Rambeau stomped on the man's foot, stopping him from saying anything he would regret.

"Uh ... Jessica isn't here right now. But if it's urgent, I can help you with the case." Malcolm said, pushing his chest out to look more confident.

But he deflated when Mr. Reynolds started to laugh at him.

"You? Help us? You look like you have trouble finding your way to the bathroom! Tell us when your boss returns and we'll come back."  
Mr. Reynolds tried to leave but before he could head for the door, the kid had blocked the entrance.

"Come on, you have to agree with me. Look at him: he's scrawny!" The man whined.

“We don’t judge people based on appearance. If he’s working here, then I’m sure he can help us.” Ms. Rambeau decided, pulling up one of the chairs to sit down on.

When Mr. Reynolds saw the kid take a seat as well, he grumbled and turned around.

Even as Malcolm hasn't worked long enough to get paid, he sat up straight to look experienced.

“Okay, so who do you need me to find?”

Mr. Reynolds grumbled again as he pulled out a folder with pictures.

Malcolm had to tug hard to get the folder from Mr. Reynolds’ hands. Opening it up, it was all professional portraits of a lady with slick black hair and pale skin.

”See that woman, her name is Ms. Ikuhara and she’s a fuc— UUGH! I wasn’t going to say the word! Anyway, she’s a kidnapper and we need to catch her.” Mr. Reynolds explained.

”She’s a . . . What?” Malcolm looked through the photos. Nothing about her screamed ”kidnapper”. In fact, her profile mentioned her as a top-rated social worker.

Then again, it would be easy to kidnap children if you worked with them.

Malcolm scratched his head. ”Uhh . . . Why don’t you start from the beginning?”

“It started yesterday when that brat and his mother—“

”Don’t call him a brat!” Ms. Rambeau protested.

The brat in question didn't deny the claim. He “hmphed” instead, not bothering to respond to the conversation.

”Fine! Anyway, they came to my apartment asking if I’ve seen one of my kids. I’m a foster parent, by the way. Did I mention that?”

”No, you didn’t.” Ms. Rambeau rolled her eyes.

”Well, I’m mentioning it now. 2 girls and one spawn of Satan. The spawn was the one missing, because of course he would be missing. So I tell them, I thought he was at their house, because those two are friends. But no, he was missing and breaking curfew. Not that he doesn't do that on the daily, but at least he comes back. Sometimes, he comes back looking like someone was about to kill him, but still—"

”Mr. Reynolds, we should get back on topic—“

”Yeah, yeah, I’m getting there! So that brat starts telling me some lady picked him up and then I realized that she was the spawn’s social worker. So I picked up the phone to call her, and—“

”Turns out that Ms. Ikuhara had resigned that same day. Worse, no one in the office knew where she went.” Ms. Rambeau finished, earning a glare from Mr. Reynolds.

”Wait, you said all this happened yesterday, what else did you do between then and now?”

Ms. Rambeau tapped on her chin with her finger, her eyes squinting as she tried to remember. “I . . . think that’s when the earthquake happened. We had to take shelter and Kiku was getting tired. So we went back home to catch some shut-eye before meeting back again this morning. We went to the police office but they weren’t as . . . ’Enthusiastic’ as we would have liked . . .”

”They implied he ran away. Him? Run away?! That kid is a lot of things but a coward isn’t one of them.”

”Runaways aren’t cowar— You know what? We can talk about this later. The point is, Mr. Reynolds suggested that Ms. Jones could help us.”

”Yeah, she’s one of the only two people that I’m afraid of.” Mr. Reynolds crossed his arms.

”Considering that the other person is that "brat", that list isn’t impressive. But do you think you can help us?” Ms. Rambeau asked.  
Malcolm stood up from the desk, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Not that he was happy with someone kidnapping a kid, but this was his first case. And seeing as Jessica was currently in jail right now, she wouldn’t have a problem with him solving it . . . probably.

“Don’t worry, Ms. Rambeau. I’m certain we can find this kid. Do you have any pictures of him?”

Ms. Rambeau turned towards Mr. Reynolds, but he shrugged his shoulders.

”You don’t have a picture of your kid? What kind of foster parent are you?!” Ms. Rambeau chastised. 

”What?! He’s flighty! You think I carry a camera around with me?” He countered back.

But before they could start arguing again, the kid that had been sulking stood up from his seat.

”I have pictures on my phone.” He said as he started to unlock it.

”See? At least someone is more prepared than you.” Ms. Rambeau said.

”Doesn’t matter. As long as someone had pictures. Did I ever tell you that brat’s name? It’s . . .”

”Naruto Uzumaki.” Malcolm finished as he gaped at the photos. 

Naruto was right there, his arms slung around the boy’s neck as he smiled and shot a peace sign at the camera.

Ms. Rambeau rose an eyebrow. “You know him?”

Malcolm dropped the phone in the boy’s hand, his body slumping into the chair. “Yeah, he’s always coming here. He might be one of the few people Jessica doesn’t hate.” 

Malcolm rotated the picture frame that was laying on the desk towards the group. He wiped the glass off, showing Naruto draining down a bowl of ramen while Jessica gulped down a beer bottle.

Ms. Rambeau squinted at the photo, her face set in a frown. 

“Between you and Ms. Jones, I don’t know who’s the worse role model.” She leaned back, her eyes facing Mr. Reynolds.

”Did you try calling him? Or checking any of the apps on his phone?” Malcolm pulled out his laptop from his bag.

”That was the first thing we did.” Mr. Reynolds answered.

Malcolm’s finger rapped on the desk as his brain searched for clues.

Why would this social worker want to take Naruto? No, that wasn’t a good question. It could have been anything. She could be a human trafficker or a stalker.

No, he needed to know where she was. But that was obvious to ask. 

There was something else he was missing. Something important.

”You said she picked him up, right? From where?”

”It was from school. We called the principal and he said that they had no idea she was even there. It’s all suspicious: how do you lose a kid?!” Ms. Rambeau huffed, her nostrils flaring as she took sharp breaths in and out.

”Okay, then. We can work with that.” Malcolm closed his laptop and packed it up.

”Wait a minute. Where are you going, did you find something?” Mr. Reynolds asked.

”If she picked him up from the school, then it had to be on the streets with the streetlight cameras. If we can get footage of it, we can pick up the car she was using, where she might have been going, and even her license number.”

”That’ll definitely help! Didn’t I say a goodnight sleep will solve everything, Sasuke?” Ms. Rambeau said to the boy, who was rubbing at the dark circles under his eyes.

”Nothing’s solved until we find him.” Sasuke muttered, jolting up when he pinched the soft part of his arm.

”Okay, you’re getting more sleep in the car ride.” Ms. Rambeau opened the door, only to see a woman standing right behind it.

The lady was blond, tall, dressed sophisticated but radiating nervous energy. There was an awkward smile pasted on her face, and her hand was still lifted in the air, paused in mid-knocking. When she noticed the door was open, she snatched her hand back into her pocket, and the wrinkles around her cheek deepening as she smiled harder.

”Hi! Um-I’m Karen Page, reporter at New York Bulletin,” She introduced herself with a little wave. “I came over because I wanted to do an interview with Ms. Jones but she wasn’t answering her phone?”

”That was on purpose. We’re closed,” Malcolm started to say, but he paused when he heard her words, “Did you say you work for the New York Bulletin?”

”Yeah. We're interested in getting Ms. Jones’ side of the story—“

”Uh-huh. You guys’ office is close to the local high school, right?” Malcolm asked, leaning closer to the reporter.

”Um, yeah. Actually, It’s right down the street.” Karen said.

”So, Ms. Page, how about a trade: an exclusive, one-in-a-million interview with Ms. Jones in exchange for access to the cameras in the New York Bulletin?” Malcolm offered.

”. . . Um, I’m sorry but what?”

After Malcolm explained the case to her, Ms. Page was enthusiastic to help. In fact, she pretty much demanded to be part of the effort to find Naruto. Malcolm would have liked to say he found him by himself, but he was more worried that Jessica would find out.

Somehow, Malcolm could see Jess blaming him for this. She might actually fire him this time. 

So Ms. Page had led them to the New York Bulletin. She marched inside the building empty-handed and marched out with a flash drive that had all the camera footage from the last 24 hours in a matter of minutes.

”Let’s hope this works, I promised Ellison a good story from this.” She muttered as she plugged the flash drive into Malcolm’s laptop. 

Right now, the whole group was sitting right on the steps of the New York Bulletin. Malcolm was stuck in the middle between all the others as he tried to play the footage.

”Okay, it’s rolling. We have to examine each second to make sure we don’t miss anything.” Malcolm said as he zoomed in.

”We don’t have time for that! Fast-forward it. We all have good enough eyes to spot a blond kid in an orange jacket.” Mr. Reynolds complained.

Before he could respond, he saw a pale hand flashed past him, and like that, the screen was fast-forwarding.

”Thanks, brat.”

Sasuke snorted in response.

But Malcolm was starting to doubt if this would work. New York was a huge city, and they were looking for one car. How would they find it with the thousands of cars going through traffic each day? How would they find a single kid in the car? It would take weeks, or even years, to narrow it down enough to find—

”Found him. He’s right there.” Sasuke reached out and paused the footage, stopping at the shot of an orange jacket inside a black car.

Mr. Reynolds whistled. “That’s him alright. I can recognize that ugly jacket and shortness anywhere.”

”But this shot isn’t clear . . .” Ms. Rambeau narrowed her eyes.

”We have two other cameras, and I think camera three is closer and has better quality. Funny enough, it was installed because of Dare—Erm hmm... I mean a certain vig-vigilante . . . He kept ... uh ... he kept dropping suspects . . . at our office.” Ms. Page’s voice had dwindled down to a whisper, her fingers paused mid-typing.

”Ms. Page, are you alright?” Malcolm asked.

But the reporter shook her head and continued to type. “No, I’m-I’m good. I ... I just realized that it wasn’t as funny as I thought it was.” Ms. Page swallowed up air as she clicked on to the next file and fast-forwarded it.

”There! Stop there.” Sasuke pointed and Malcolm stopped right when the car was in front of the camera.

Naruto was stuck in the middle of the seat, his eyes glazed over like he was five seconds from falling asleep. Meanwhile, the culprit, Ms. Ikuhara, was adjusting her hair and darting her eyes.

“There’s no license plate. This is gonna be harder than we thought.” Malcolm sighed.

”Plus, look at this shot. She wasn’t working alone. This could be some kind of trafficking operation.” Ms. Rambeau said as she pointed at the other men.

"So we are dealing with traffickers? There's not much you can do except turn this towards the police, then?" Mr. Reynolds leaned back as he rubbed his chin.

"I could get a story out warning about traffickers but it's going to take a few days to do some research." Ms. Page sighed.

"That's fine, you didn't have to help us, so we appreciate it. But now, it looks like we're out of options." Ms. Rambeau said.

Lucky for her, she shifted closer to Malcolm to say that, giving Sasuke enough leeway to only push Mr. Reynolds out of the way as he stood up.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Is that it? Is that all we're going to do?" Sasuke flung his arms out as he yelled at the group.

Everyone stared at him, their eyes widening as he started to heave.

"I won't give up on him because it's hard or not worth my time. I'm not weak like you guys." Sasuke huffed out before running off.

”Sasuke! I’m sorry Mr. Reynolds, he’s—“ 

”A little shit, I’m well aware,” Mr. Reynolds interrupted Ms. Rambeau’s apology, “But if there’s one thing he cares about, it’s that blond brat. Go to him.”

Ms. Rambeau nodded, chasing after the boy.

And as Malcolm, Mr. Reynolds, and Ms. Page sat on those steps, they didn't exchange a word. Instead, they readjusted their clothes or looked at their phones. Anything that could distract from that niggling guilt that crept up on them was fair game.

It was a while before Mr. Reynolds broke the silence.

"This city was never this violent before, right?" He asked.

Malcolm shook his head, packing up his laptop. "No, crime was actually decreasing in New York. But then, the invasion happened . . . I don't think any of us know how to cope with that."

"But it's possible, right? If this is trauma, then everything will turn back to normal soon. It has to happen." Ms. Page's voice was shaky.

"Or it might not. This is the normal human trafficking the city always had to deal with. What happens when the supernatural gets involved? You get all these heroes fighting for the human race when we're the ones that killing ourselves. If you ask me, this is the beginning of the end." Mr. Reynolds took out a cigarette and lit it.

Malcolm eyed him, watching as he puffed out a smoke ring. "Don't you think that's a little pessimistic?"

Mr. Reynolds finished his cigarette and dropped it on the pavement. "I just got called a coward by a 14-year old that can throw a knife with his eyes closed." 

Mr. Reynolds ground the drug with his foot. "Thinking is a privilege I decided to do without."

After that, they returned to that state of active silence. Ignoring it and every other intrusive thought with meaningless actions. Soon enough, Ms. Rambeau and her kid returned, the boy wiping his eyes as Ms. Rambeau cleared her throat.

There wasn’t anything more to glean off from the footage but Mr. Ducasse broke off from the group anyway, saying he wanted to try something different.

It would take him a while, so Ms. Rambeau had planned to talk to Ms. Jones. Surprising her, Mr. Reynolds decided to do that instead, insisting that she and her kid go home and rest. He muttered something about being able to suffer through her temper but she didn’t think it was her place to ask.

She had told the group she would try to get Ellison to agree to the story, and if she had enough sources, she would already be in his office.

But there was no information, no trail to follow. There was nothing she could do about it.

But these were bad people, true scum of the Earth that stooped as low as trafficking children.

These people were disgusting, evil, and someone had to stop them at all costs.

Yeah, she’ll be as bad as them if she didn’t try to stop them.

Karen walked out of the bar she was in, her hand fingering the gun she kept in her purse. It was caution to the extreme, but she already got kidnapped once and she’s doesn't want another round.

Darting her eyes, she scanned the streets for any suspicious person. Every dark corner became a hideout for danger. Every lingering stare became a murderer out for her blood. Every slowed car became the vehicle of her downfall.

Karen went from walking to sprinting, then from sprinting to running. She hated feeling like this. Alone, and scared, and helpless. Like she was translucent and everyone could see every single bad thing that she ever did and hated her for it. Maybe they were even willing to kill her just to wipe the disgusting stain she made on the Earth.

It buzzed under her arm, swept through her veins. Stock and rich and heavy, she can never shake it off.

P a r a n o i a.

But all those steps took her to the stairs of her apartment complex. Once she reached her hallway, she tried to calm her breathing. And in a few seconds, it worked. The sirens in her head dimmed down. Her breathing got a little less harsh with every exhale. Her heart didn’t pound anymore.

But then she opened the door, walked into the kitchen, and her heart jumped out of her chest.

Right there, leaning on her island counter, was Frank Castle. 

The man nicknamed “The Punisher”. The soldier that declared a war on crime. The killer whose morals are black and white.

He stood up from the counter as soon as he noticed the shock in her eyes. ”I came as fast as I can. Are you okay? What’s wrong?” 

“No, I'm not okay. I need your help.”

Karen would be as bad as these men if she let them live.

 

* * *

 

Naruto woke up with a start. 

He tried to roll around but something dragged his arm back. As he blinked out the last grains of sleep, he tugged at the thing wrapping around his arm.

Chains. Someone had actually bothered to chain him. He sat up from the concrete floor and started pulling at the metal, hoping to budge it. But his attempts dwindled when he realized that someone tightened the chains to the low ceiling. Plus, it was like all his strength had vanished because he wasn’t even making a dent in chains that he could have snapped in half an hour ago.

As he slumped back down, he noticed something jiggling on the other side of his arm. It was long and white and even went into his arm.

His eyes followed the wire until it reached a plastic bag, half-filled with blood.

” _What . . ._ “ He whispered, looking at the IV. Curling up, he bent his leg up and let the wire wrap around it. Then he squeezed his eyes shut, kicking out and ripping the IV from his arm.

” _Owwww! Damn you, whoever did this!_ ” Naruto yelled out to the empty air, hoping some cameras might hear him.

” _You hear me?! Once I get out of this, I’ll beat the shit outta you!_ ”

“ _They can’t hear you. Consider it good luck for all parties involved._ ”

Naruto turned around, looking for the voice.

Steady footsteps crushed the silence in the room. As they got closer, Naruto squinted more to see the silhouette. His eyes drew to the drops of blood splashed around the ground close to him.

Once he spotted the blood, he started to see it everywhere.

He saw it on his pants. He saw it staining his navy blue shirt. He saw puddles of it curdling on the ground further out. He saw it glazed over the corpses of guards, their eyes still wide open. He saw it dripping down the faces of the kidnapped children, as they stared at him with unfocused eyes and open mouths that drool rolled out from. 

And then they finally appeared in front of Naruto, and he couldn’t look away from the blood they wore on their body.

Bright and red, it streaked across the white mask.

” _You bastard! I’ll end you!_ ” Naruto wrung his arms, trying to dislodge his chains.

It was a hopeless attempt; the chains clinked as Naruto struggled, but in the end, they stayed intact.

” _Can you stop doing that and listen to me? I don’t have enough time to let you go on with your tantrum._ ” They spoke with authority, as if they were the calm one, even with the blood dripping from their clothes.

” _Why can’t I break these chains?_ ” Naruto grunted, still pulling.

” _Because I don’t want you to._ ” 

“ _What?_ ”

Naruto stared at them, growing a bit warier. 

They sat on the concrete floor, wiping some of the blood off onto the ground.

” _We need to talk._ ” They declared.

Naruto glared, bearing his teeth. “ _I don’t need to do anything with you._ ”

They sighed, long and exhausted. “ _I want to do this the easy way, but I guess nothing is ever easy with you._ ” He stood up, dusting his clothes off, before pulling out a kunai.

He swiveled around the room, pointing the kunai around at the other children.

” _I pretty much killed all the guards, and I did off some of the kids that begged me to. But I’m sure I can find someone that can scream loud enough for you to hear._ ” They shrugged before swirling the kunai around.

” _Fine, I’ll listen to you, you freak! Leave them alone!_ ” Naruto yelled, his voice breaking through the whimpers of the other kids.

They put their kunai away. “ _Good. This is good._ ” He sat back down in that same spot, his mask facing the blue, determined eyes.

But they didn’t show any fear; they tapped against their knee, their head tilted as if in thought.

” _I guess I’ll start off with this: do you remember me?_ ”

Naruto snorted. “ _How can I forget the creep that snuck into me and my best friend’s dreams and started messing with us?_ ”

” _Hmm, you remember that? Interesting. But you don’t remember us meeting before that, do you? That’s too bad. We had a good talk._ ” They seemed regretful, but Naruto knew they were mocking him.

” _Don’t try and trick me! I only met you in that weird dream place._ ”

Silence. Then.

” _Do you really think you can trust your memories, after all this time?_ ” Naruto hated that mask. It was white and plain and ugly and secretive. 

It reminded Naruto how little he knew about them.

” _We met before. You asked me questions about your past and I answered them. You didn’t like my answers and started to yell at me. Halfway through the conversation, your eyes glazed over and you asked who I was._ ” They explained, playing again with the elastic rope that would tighten their hoodie.

” _What? That doesn’t make sense; I’m not that stupid!_ ” 

“ _It doesn’t have anything to do with your intelligence. Someone doesn’t want you to remember your past. If I say anything that hints to the former life you led, it wipes out the memory of that conversation._ ” 

They leaned in closer, that creepy mask blocking his view.

” _It took me a while to work it out. After all, even you know you're not supposed to be here. So why? But I'm starting to work it out. This is the first time I've seen you without that orange jacket. You’ve been hiding stuff, Uzumaki._ ”

Naruto looked down and noticed that his beloved orange jacket was gone. He still had his orange pants on, but his legs and arms were bare, revealing the scratches and scars he had accumulated over the years.

At the other's intense stare, Naruto felt awkward, naked even. " _Don't look at me!_ "

That caused them to laugh, a deep, throaty laugh. As if lightning and thunder had found his misfortunes amusing.

" _When have you ever been shy? I wanted to point something out. You see, all these scars and marks are normal, expected. But these ones . . ._ " They moved close enough to grab Naruto's hand, tracing over the long, white streak marks. " _You can only get these scars if you were using a certain technique. But you can’t use it, it's not in your nature!_ "

A scowl snuck onto Naruto's face. " _What are you yapping about? You sound stupid. Let go of my hand!_ " 

But the child continued their rambling, the excitement growing in their voice. " _But see how sparse they are? This means you weren’t using the technique, someone was using it against you! It wasn’t a direct hit, but you still got the blowback. But with these marks—the attack was too harsh to be from the blowback. It must have been a clash, your technique versus your opponent._ "

They dropped his hand, and stepped back, mask nodding as they contemplated.

" _It's only a tiny piece, your amnesia is still a mystery, but still, that's good enough. You got caught up in a fight, and two powerful techniques collided. The power of it all should have killed you. Instead, you’re here._ "

” _So what?! Did I die and go to the next world?_ “

“ _That’s a funny way of saying it. Maybe this is the next world for me,_ ” If that mask was gone, Naruto was sure he would see a smile behind their face. “ _But don’t worry about that now, you have much more pressing issues._ ”

It was like throwing gasoline into a wildfire. Steam rose from Naruto’s arms and his eyes were vivid violets as he screamed, “ _I don’t know who I am! I lost everything I had, everything I care about and you think that’s not important?!_ ”

They faced him, a hum coming out from their mask as they considered the question.

” _Hmm. . . Yeah, I don’t think it’s important at all._ ” They replied.

Then they kicked themselves off the ground, their face only a few centimeters from Naruto’s claws.

“ _Damn, I underestimated you. How is that even possible?”_ They mumbled out, jumping away as Naruto broke the rest of his chains.

“ _I’ll rip you apart!_ ” Blood leaked out as razor-sharp fangs ripped into black lips. Red slitted eyes focused on them, emanating a murderous aura.

Bubbling hot chakra rose into the air and poisoned it, corroding the oxygen with putrid heat that burned the lungs of everyone in the room. Naruto crouched down on all fours, growling hard as his claws sunk into the concrete floor.

All the other kids were responsive now. Their tears and screams filled the room as children fell prey to the killing intent. 

But They weren’t as fazed, yawning until they looked around.

” _Look at what you did, stupid!_ ” They groaned. “ _I thought you wanted them alive. How are they going to do that if you boil up all the oxygen in the room?_ ”

They stretched their hand out, their palm facing Naruto.

” _You need to stop._ ” And with those words, every drop of corrosive chakra collapsed right back into Naruto. 

It wasn’t that much of a push, but rather a pull, like a rubber band snapping back into place. The force of the chakra slammed him into the wall, knocking the wind out of him. The chains that he broke cracked back to life as it stretched out and wrapped itself around his limbs.

Naruto groaned as all the heat, and power, and hatred bundled back inside him, churning around in his gut as if it had never left.

” _Are you ready to talk now?_ ” They stood up.

Naruto bent his head down, his body leaning against the chains. Saliva, blood and venom mixed together as he spat out, “ _Fuck you._ ”

“ _Fine, be angry at me. It’s not like I saved a bunch of kids from you or whatever._ ”

” _Wait . . . Actually, your rant got me thinking back to what I came here for. Do you think you’re not yourself?_ ” They asked.

Naruto coughed out, his chest burning in pain. “ _. . . What?_ ”

” _Come on, you said it: you don’t know who you are. So, I want to get it from you: what makes you Naruto Uzumaki?_ ” They badgered on.

” _What type of question is that? I’m me because I’m me!_ ”

” _But why? Think about it like this: what do you know about other dimensions?_ ” Their voice got higher, words flying out as they paced in place.

” _Other... dimensions-What? I don’t understand—_ “

” _That’s why I’m explaining it to you. So, there’s other planets, right? Mercury, Venus, Earth and the other shit. I can even say a whole universe with stars, and comets and other galaxies._ ”

” _Yeah—_ “

” _Well, what if there were other worlds like ours, that has a planet like Earth and people live in it?_ ”

” _Huh—_ “

” _And what if—_ “ They scooted right up in Naruto’s face, their body vibrating with energy. “ _There was another person on that Earth that was blond with blue eyes and whisker marks, and his name was Naruto Uzumaki? Between you and him, who is actually ‘Naruto’?_ ”

” _I am! Why would that happen anyway?!_ ” 

” _Because there’s people that can fly and fight with machines, people who froze in ice for decades, people who can turn green with monstrous strength, and people that call themselves a god and destroy us on their whim._ ” They explained as they looked up at the ceiling, their eyes seeing farther than the low ceiling and flaking paint that Naruto was looking at.

” _What we used to think was impossible is now something that can happen the very next day. There’s always someone that coming up with new powers that break the rules and laws of science we established. Anything is possible and you and I are living proof of it._ ”

” _. . . How?_ ”

“ _There’s something called a multidimensional theory or something, I don’t care about the name, just what it means. But according to this theory, there can be different worlds or different dimensions, and in each of these dimensions, there can be a ‘Naruto’ living in them._ ”

Naruto sat back on the ground, his eyes scrunching up, as he tried to scratch his head until he remembered he was still chained. “ _Then, how many dimensions are there?_ ”

” _An infinite amount. Meaning, that there’s an infinite amount of you._ ”

Naruto’s eyes widened, his mouth gaping. But at the same moment, his eyes clouded and his brows furrowed, his mouth shutting up and tightening.

The ideas of so many hims that he couldn’t count it all . . . it was the first time he was hearing it but somehow . . . It almost felt . . . familiar?

” _But here’s the thing, these worlds are different because there’s always some detail that’s off. Like something that isn’t the same as the other worlds. Maybe a Naruto in another world has red hair, or another Naruto isn’t a ninja at all. Then, how do you know who’s Naruto Uzumaki?_ ”

” _. . . I am! I just am._ “

” _Or how about this? If every dimension differs, then how do you know who’s the real Naruto Uzumaki? Are all the other Narutos based on an original Naruto, or are all the Narutos variations of some concept of what Naruto Uzumaki should be?_ ”

” _I‘m the original Naruto. I know that!_ ”

“ _You don’t even know your own parents! Don’t you remember, you have amnesia. You don’t know your goals, your dreams, your friends, your enemies, you don’t know anything about yourself. You said so just a few minutes ago. How do you know that your name is actually Naruto? How do you know that your memories aren’t so twisted that you can believe what your mind is telling you?_ ”

” _I . . . I . . . I don’t._ ”

Is he who he thinks he is? Is anything about him real at all?

But at that last sentence, they tilted their head, their hand cradling their chin. " _I didn’t break you in that last question, did I? You’re totally Naruto. Just a little different than I thought. I recognize some traits and I’m painting a picture but I’m still not getting it._ ” They muttered.

And they kept babbling about dimensions, and personalities, and philosophies, like Naruto hadn’t had his whole world broken into pieces, there was a thought that trampled all over the pieces he had yet to pick up, something that both fascinated and terrified him so much that for the first time, he was actually thinking before he spoke.

“ _A-Are you . . ._ “, Naruto’s voice was shaking, volume as mercurial as his mental state, “ _. . . Are you me?_ ”

They tilted their head, all their chattering halting immediately. 

At that moment, Naruto was aware of everything. He felt the rough metal of the chains that double wrapped around his arms, the trail of sweat that ran from his temple to his shoulders. He saw the other chained kids leaning on the floor or the wall or anywhere as they all stared at him with those wide eyes filled with nothingness. The bodies on the floor were starting to smell.

Naruto had lost a battle he didn’t even know he was fighting.

” _I’m not you. But maybe I’m Naruto. Maybe I’m not. If you pulled off my mask, then I guess you would find out. Do you want to know?_ ” The voice behind the mask was uppity, playful. It invited Naruto closer but promised to kill him if he took another step.

” _Come on, don’t you want to know who I am? I’ll even let you take off the mask._ ” They jutted their chin out, showing off their mask like a fruit ripe to pick.

And Naruto wanted to know, he wanted to know so bad, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure if it’s something he should know. 

If he’s wrong, and they were someone trying to fuck him up, then it doesn’t matter. But if he’s right, and oh if he’s right, then he can never be sure if who he is. How can you say you are yourself if there are a million other yous that think the same thing? Who’s wrong, who’s right? 

He will never know if he’s truly Naruto.

But whoever he is, he’s not a coward and he’s not starting today.

Naruto reached out, slow at first but every cell in his body reaffirmed his thoughts, telling him exactly who he is. He grabbed the mask, his fingers curling at the edge and stared right at the abyss.

” _Maybe there’s a billions of me out there, I don’t care! I know exactly who I am, Naruto Uzumaki and no one can take that away from me!_ ”

Naruto pulled the mask off, threw it into the air and fell into darkness.

And when he opened his eyes, he was standing up with his jacket zipped. Broken chains littered the floor, and not a drop of blood was on the concrete.

But all the rest of the kidnapped kids were unconscious, and the guards were out of commission as well.

They were standing up as well, leaning against the door with their arms folded.

” _Yeah, thanks for the talk. This was really bugging me and having a second opinion actually helped. I don't know, but there's something about you that brings the best out of me, ya' know? Wait . . . I remember I'm supposed to let you take off my mask. I hope you didn't believe that; we’re not even on a first-name basis._ ”

“ _But how-what . . . The blood? Chains . . ._ ” Naruto gestured all around his surroundings, almost everything different from before.

” _Oh yeah! I used Genju— Wait, I don’t think I can say it. Too bad. Just know it’s one of my superpowers._ ”

” _You-You bastard—_ “ Naruto sputtered out.

” _Why are you mad at me? I didn’t have to break your chains. I could have left you stuck here with your blood being all harvested._ ”

Naruto’s rosy complexion turned pale. ” _They’re harvesting my blood?!_ ”

“ _Yeah, they drugged you so hard you couldn’t even hear the fox inside of you. It still hasn’t worn out so I’ll start running and hiding if I were you. You don’t have enough strength to start fighting ninjas right now._ ” 

Without warning, the room flashed red and white as alarm sirens went off. About a few meters away, Naruto could hear shouts and yells coming towards his direction.

” _I’m sure Uchiha is going to rescue you but you have to stay alive until then. I would help you but I kinda have my own shit to deal with. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to take out the guys running down the hall on my way out._ ”

They opened the door, giving Naruto a tiny salute, before heading out.

” _Wait! Come back!_ ” Naruto tried to follow them, but when he opened the door, he stood alone in the middle of a dark hallway, surrounded by unconscious guards.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, looked around one more time, and groaned.

But Naruto tried to reach out for Kurama, but as They said, it was impossible. It was like trying to search for a drop of water in an ocean. Everything was so cloudy and foggy and he couldn’t even feel the hot, caustic chakra that the fox radiates.

Okay, no fox, no powers, no one around to help him, and no idea where he was at.

Naruto was kinda fucked right now.

But that doesn’t matter, because he’ll never give up.

If there’s anything he’ll never lose, it’s his ninja way.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YESSSS I got this done!!!! Getting real sick of this arc. Also, Gonna put in the tags that this is super long and Slow. Like snail slow.
> 
> Anyways, there was supposed to be a rant here about Elektra but I sorta stopped hating her when I started to analyze her and Matt’s characterization. She was done dirty in the show but that’s besides the point~
> 
> Huge Vent below:
> 
> I spent like weeks agonizing over this chapter. It was really hard with college and trying to understand everyone’s motives and making sure that I’m not forgetting a character. 
> 
> But to be honest, I’m kinda sick of this shit. Not the writing, it’s a love-hate relationship. But I wrote this because I kept obsessing over how the series should have acknowledged Naruto and Sasuke totally not-straight relationship with all the shit they do for each other. And I know I’m not the only one in the world that thinks that but I’m kinda in an environment that makes it seem like I do. 
> 
> I guess for further context, I started this in high school, with my friends that were totally accepting and it was all lit. But now I’m in college, and I feel all alone and when I’m not alone, I’m with friends that are all homophobic and ableist and all the other ‘ics’ and it’s shitty as fuck. I could distance myself but it just seems fucking terrible being alone. And I’m so fucking awkward I can’t even make a different set of friends either (They approached me, not the other way around)
> 
> So this fanfic is mostly an escape for me, but it’s not even a good escape because every time I log off, I’m reminded that this shit isn’t even real. I’m deluding myself and obsessing over a series that will never satisfy me the way I would like it too. Plus, I always end up lying down on my bed obsessing about it all day, and it’s —unhealthy as fuck lol— and just make me feel worse tbh.
> 
> Like, I’m making up content about a nonexistent relationship that the writer would probably shoot me on sight if they had to read it. And I see reminders of that every time I go outside so that’s depressing as hell. 
> 
> And then, you have all the trash ass decisions Marvel execs are taking and how all the shows outside the main Cinematic Universe are getting canceled and in the next decade I’m going to have to survive an onslaught of one-dimensional movies about a guy who eventually gets the girl he’s chasing and in the end, either live in some picket-white fence neighborhood with their 3 kids or watch that same girl die tragically. I rather eat shit than go through that. In fact, I rather die than let myself go through all the level of heteronormativity. No way, no fucking how. I’ll go through a lobotomy before I do that.
> 
> Point is, it was disturbing the fuck out of me and the only reason I'm back to writing mood is because I love writing and right now, I'm on break for winter.
> 
> So, right now, I'm feeling really creative but when I start school back in January, I'll probably be in that depressing mood. I think I'm going to distance myself from everything, just to take care of myself.
> 
> Long Story Short, I'll be taking a lot more time to write during the school session than in the breaks. Thank you for reading through this shit.
> 
> Next chapter is coming out between two weeks from now or two months.


End file.
